From May 13 to 15, the 15th International Congress on Ambulatory Surgery was held in Oslo, Norway. Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center (ZOC) of Sun Yat-sen University was invited as the representative of Chinese ophthalmology to deliver a keynote report at the congress. Professor Li Tao, Assistant President of ZOC, presented on "Development and Breakthroughs in Innovation-Driven Ophthalmic Ambulatory Surgery Model," introducing the CHINESE experience in ophthalmic ambulatory surgery to international peers.

Professor Li Tao, Assistant President of Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, delivering a speech at the congress

The International Congress on Ambulatory Surgery (ICAS)
The ICAS is the most influential global academic conference in the field, organized biennially by the International Association for Ambulatory Surgery (IAAS). Hosted by the Norwegian Association for Ambulatory Surgery, this year's congress brought together policymakers, administrators, clinical experts, and researchers worldwide who have made outstanding contributions to day surgery. Participants shared cutting-edge scientific research progress and management experiences, collectively committed to advancing the high-quality development of ambulatory surgery globally.

Pioneering the establishment of a “Specialty Hospital with Exemplary Ambulatory Surgeries”

With an aging population and socio-economic development, the public demand for eye care has significantly increased. To implement national guidelines on promoting high-quality development in public hospitals and effectively address patients’ difficulties in accessing and affording healthcare, ZOC actively responded to the national call. Closely aligning with the trend towards minimally invasive ophthalmic surgery and driven by both institutional and technological innovation, ZOC pioneered ambulatory surgery trials in its Cataract Department in 2011. This initiative broke through the bottlenecks of traditional inpatient surgical models, establishing comprehensive ambulatory surgery diagnosis, treatment process, and management protocols, which were subsequently extended to all subspecialty departments.

On November 16, 2016, the Health News featured a headline on the front page highlighting ZOC's ambulatory surgery model as a benchmark for healthcare reform in China.

Over 12 years of development, ZOC has basically achieved full ambulatory surgery services. Its ambulatory surgery rate has reached 93.83%. The average cost per hospitalization has decreased by approximately 15% compared to  pre-implementation levels, and the average preoperative waiting time has been dramatically shortened from one month to just three days, significantly reducing the burden on patients in multiple aspects. Through years of continuous optimization of diagnostic and treatment processes and service quality, ZOC has gradually developed a medical quality management system characterized by comprehensive ambulatory surgeries and an integrated full-chain service model for medical and nursing care, achieving leapfrog improvements in both medical quality and service capacity.

Ambulatory surgery ward tailored for ophthalmic care

As a vital approach to transforming service models and enhancing service efficiency, the ophthalmic ambulatory surgery model has gained widespread recognition and attention from both the government and society. Nearly a hundred institutions have visited ZOC for exchanges, spreading the concepts, procedures, and standards of ophthalmic ambulatory surgery to various specialties in multiple regions across the country.

Sharing ophthalmic solutions on the Global Stage

At the congress, Professor Li Tao shared ZOC’s experiences and ideas in implementing of ophthalmic ambulatory surgery with international peers. He focused on improvements in medical service efficiency, medical quality control, and how ambulatory surgery fosters technological innovation. His presentation sparked lively discussion and received high acclaim from attending experts, contributing China’s experience and ophthalmic solutions to the global advancement of ambulatory surgery and the continuous enhancement of healthcare service delivery and efficiency. 

Professor Li Tao (fourth from right) with representatives from various countries

As the Vice President unit of the Ambulatory Medical Economics and Administration Branch of the China Health Economics Association, ZOC will continue to actively engage in exchanges and cooperation with domestic and international peers, aiming to replicate and promote the “ZOC Experience” in ambulatory surgery more widely.