FAQ

If you will not make your appointment or are feeling sick, please contact your surgeon’s office first. They will be able to assist you in rescheduling. Once you have spoken to them please call PSCA to inform us of the cancellation or reschedule. Please leave a message if you do not reach a staff member. Include your name, date of birth and date of canceled procedure. (505)639-4640

This is in order to prevent aspiration of gastric content during surgery which can be a serious complication. It is necessary that you follow this guideline and do not eat or drink anything 6 hours prior to surgery. Your procedure will be delayed or canceled if this guideline is not adhered to.

You may have gotten an estimate of your out of pocket expense. This amount will be required at the time of check in. This estimate is based on the information we have regarding your expected procedure, your insurance coverage, any deductibles or co-insurance amounts required by your insurance and any expected NON COVERED services (see below). We do our best to get the estimate right! If you have questions, please do not hesitate to call our PSCA billing office at (505) 241-5458. It is IMPORTANT to note that PSCA will ONLY bill for the facility fees involved with your surgery. Your surgeon and your anesthesia provider will bill SEPARATELY. Their fees are not included in our estimate and are payable directly to them.

In most cases, procedures and services that are “medically necessary” are covered by your insurance. Often in cataract surgery, there are “add on” services, such as a Toric or MultiFocal lenses or the ORA procedure (see SERVICES page) which are performed at the same time as your cataract surgery but not considered medically necessary by Medicare or other insurance. Those services, when chosen by the patient are considered “non-covered” and the cost is due from the patient prior to surgery.

You will be responsible for paying the facility portion to PSCA at the time of check in. The surgeon and anesthesia fees are separate and will come directly from them. PSCA accepts cash, check, credit card and payments by phone. CareCredit is another option if you anticipate difficulty covering the out of pocket expenses.

Please wear comfortable, loose fitting clothing. A button-down shirt is often preferred to one that goes over your head. Wear comfortable shoes. Leave ALL VALUABLES and jewelry at home including any body piercing jewelry. Do not wear contact lenses to surgery. If you wear a hearing aid, please be sure to bring the case for safe storage in the event you are asked to remove it.

QUAD-A credentialing is the gold standard! PSCA, as an accredited facility must comply with the most stringent set of applicable standards and must pass a thorough survey by a qualified QUAD-A facility surveyor. An accredited facility must be fully equipped to perform procedures in the medical specialty or specialties listed on its accreditation application and must be equipped to respond to emergencies. Accreditation by QUAD-A is proof of our commitment and signifies that we have met the rigorous standards of a nationally recognized third party.

Yes. All patients will be seen by the anesthesia provider on the day of surgery prior to entering the operating room.

Absolutely not. Any patient receiving anesthesia cannot drive for 24 hours. All patients are required to have a driver to & from surgery who is also expected to remain on site during surgery. You will also need a driver for your post op appointment the next day!

This depends on the type of procedure but across the board, if you have concerns in the first 24 hours after surgery, please do not wait! Contact your surgeon! It is strongly advised that you have an adult that can accompany you for 12-24 hours after a surgical procedure.