Intended to be less threatening than a hospital setting, the physician-owned Andover Surgery Center on Haverhill Street aims to provide patients with a more convenient alternative for day-surgery procedures.
Located within Doctors Park, the center's patient-friendly atmosphere has been enhanced by a nearly $1 million renovation, which added more than 3,000 square feet to the facility, said Executive Director Nancy Aucoin.
"It's revamped," said Aucoin. "It is providing more privacy for patients. Our recovery area was very tight. Now patients can recover from their surgery in a private setting where their family members can join them prior to discharge."
Though finishing touches are still in the works, the Andover Surgery Center now has an additional 1,400 square feet of physician office space, new private dressing rooms and an expanded surgery-recovery area.
Whereas the center's four recovery beds would regularly fill up before the renovation, nine private beds are now available, Aucoin said. A private pediatric recovery area was also included in the expansion, which began in September.
Founded in 1985 as the state's first free-standing surgery center, since 2003 the Andover Surgery Center has been owned and operated by 18 area physicians and managed by United Medical System, she said.
Aucoin said the center was previously associated with Lawrence General Hospital.
"All the physicians that utilize the center are from the Merrimack Valley," said Aucoin. "It's more convenient for their patients."
Surgeries performed at the center range from cosmetic eye surgeries to carpel tunnel surgeries and arthroscopic sports injury-related procedures, Aucoin said.
"It's for any type of minor day surgeries," said Aucoin. "Most patients come in and are out, the doctor finished, within two or three hours maximum."
With a staff of 20 employees, the surgery center has two fully equipped operating rooms and a procedure room suitable for any operations not requiring general anesthesia.
"For children it's less threatening than a hospital setting," said Aucoin. "We're trying to make the public aware that there are some options."
The center closed for the renovation on Dec. 14 and reopened on Jan. 21 after a full state inspection. An open house for the medical community was scheduled for March 18.
With the renovation now nearing its completion, the goal is for the center to increase its annual number of patients from 2,500 to 4,000, Aucoin said.
"It's one-on-one personal service, from start to finish," said Aucoin. "It's patient-friendly, easy parking, I think overall just a less threatening environment."
