Spanish
Santo Domingo. - Médico Express, a health center located on the San Isidro highway, has taken on the challenge of transforming surgical care in the eastern zone with a model of major outpatient surgery that prioritizes efficiency, safety, and patient recovery at home.
Dr. Santiago Abreu, coordinator of the Ambulatory Surgery Unit, explained that the center performs procedures from multiple specialties such as general surgery, urology, traumatology, otorhinolaryngology, and pediatric surgery. “We have two operating rooms where we perform from inguinal hernias and cholecystectomies to arthroscopies and adenotonsillectomies, all in an outpatient setting”, he stated.
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The center's focus is on providing surgical services with the same quality as major hospitals, but with the advantage that the patient can return home the same day, without hospitalization.“This speeds up recovery, reduces the risk of hospital infections, and improves the patient's emotional experience,” Abreu indicated.
He highlighted that the center's infrastructure allows for minimally invasive procedures using laparoscopy and arthroscopy, supported by state-of-the-art anesthetic monitoring and all vital controls required by international standards. Abreu described the surgical process as a complete circuit that begins with the specialist's evaluation, continues with pre-operative tests and complementary consultations, and culminates with the procedure and post-operative follow-up, which includes a follow-up phone call the day after the surgery. "Everything is explained to the patient from the first moment. Our follow-up is close and personalized," he pointed out. During the interview, the doctor emphasized the cultural perception that still persists around outpatient surgery. "In Europe and the United States, more than 70% of surgeries are already performed on an outpatient basis. Here we are taking the first steps, and the main challenge is for people to trust this model," he said. The center has also positioned itself as a benchmark in medical tourism, by having international accreditations such as Fitwel, which certifies its facilities as healthy and sustainable, and by the Global Health Association, as a center specializing in the care of international patients. "Beyond having a paper that says you are certified, what's important is all the work that goes into achieving it: creating protocols, training staff, documenting every step... That elevates the quality of service and guarantees safety," Abreu highlighted. With only one year of operations, Médico Express has already begun to build patient loyalty in Santo Domingo Este and expects to continue growing. "We are close to the airport, well located, and open to receiving both Dominicans and tourists who need care. We just want them to know us, because once they visit us, they return," he concluded.
