Cosmetic Surgery Gift Certificates
Holidays, special events, weddings, anniversaries, Valentine's Day are a great opportunity to give that special person a cosmetic surgery gift certificate.
Gift certificates may be prepaid for a specific dollar amount (e.g. $500) or prepaid for a particular procedure (hair removal, wrinkle removal, breast augmentation, tummy tuck, etc.).
(219) 736-2047
(800) 708-9481
Contact Information
Two Convenient Locations:
Hammond ACC/Horseshoe Casino Location:
Twenty Minutes South of Downtown Chicago
2134 S. Calumet Avenue
Hammond, IN
(219) 218-2001
The Hammond Ambulatory Care Center Functions Like a Miniature Hospital
The Hammond Community Hospital Ambulatory Care Center is a fully accredited ambulatory care center. An ambulatory care center (ACC) has many more services than the typical ambulatory surgery center (ASC). An ACC may see primary care patients and has CT scans and MRI machines on site, whereas an ASC does not.
Since the Hammond Ambulatory Care Center has CT scans, ultrasound machines and MRI machines on site, it functions like a miniature hospital. In addition the Hammond ACC is staffed by over 90 physicians, covering all medical specialities including: Cardiology, General Surgery, Gynecology, Pain Management, Gastroenterology, Neurology, Orthopedics, etc.
The advantage of an ACC over a hospital is lower cost when compared to a hospital. The ACC does not have to be open 24 hours per day and does not operate an emergency room, which increase the cost of services. On the other hand, the ACC has more staffing and imaging capability than a surgery center or surgical office suite, so it has higher facility and staffing charges than either.
Directions to Ambulatory Care Center:
From Chicago take the I-90 toll road East to the Cline Avenue Exit (Exit 3). Exit 3 merges into Cline Avenue (912 S). From Cline Avenue turn left at South Calumet (US 41). The Surgery Center is within 1 mile of the Cline exit.
Merrillville/Star Plaza Theater Location
Forty Minutes South of Downtown Chicago
7863 Broadway, Suite 135
Merrillville, IN 46410
(219) 736-2047
Directions:
From Chicago or Northwest Indiana take either I-94 or I-90 East to I-65 South. Going South on I-65 for about 5 minutes and exit onto US-30 West (exit 253). At the intersection of US-30 and Broadway (Rt 53) turn right (North). We are located 2 lights North of this major intersection, across the street from the Merrillville Police Department.
From South Bend Indiana or Valparaiso, take either I-94 or I-90 West to I-65 South. Going South on I-65 for about 5 minutes and exit onto US-30 West (exit 253). At the intersection of US-30 and Broadway (Rt 53) turn right (North). We are located 2 lights North of this major intersection, across the street from the Merrillville Police Department.
The Merrillville/Star Plaza Location is a Private Surgical Office Suite, NOT a Surgery Center
We perform about 400 cosmetic procedures per year at our own private surgical office suite. A private surgical office suite is NOT a surgery center. What is the difference?
In a private surgical office suite, only Dr. Katsaros operates on his cosmetic surgery patients. In a surgery center, a variety of different surgeons (orthopedic surgeons, podietrists, general surgeons, etc.) may be using the facility. Unlike teaching hospitals, surgery residents and interns do not operate on our private patients. As a result, when a patient calls our facility, our staff will not have to figure out who your surgeon was, what the procedure was, or what your postoperative instructions are. Only Dr. Katsaros' patients call our facility. Consequently our staff only has to know Dr. Katsaros' postoperative instructions.
In our facility, our patients have direct cell phone access to our staff and Dr. Katsaros. Patients who call our facility will not get an answering service, they will speak directly to our staff or Dr. Katsaros.
In a private surgical office suite, you have absolute privacy. Each patient is assigned one room for preoperative holding and postoperative recovery. In a surgery center, a patient may be placed in communal preoperative holding rooms or postoperative recovery rooms with other patients.
In a private surgical office suite, you have maximum flexibility with the operative schedule and follow up. For example, in our facility surgeries and follow up may be perfomed on Saturdays, Sundays or after 5 PM on weekdays. This gives our patients maximum flexibility with their work schedule. In surgery centers, it is difficult to operate after hours, on holidays or on weekends.
Physicians are not allowed to operate their private offices inside surgery centers. For this reason, patients who have surgery at a surgery center, need to follow up with their surgeons at a different location. In our surgical office suite, Dr. Katsaros sees all his preoperative and postoperative patients in the same facility where surgeries are performed.
Our Surgical Office Suite Has Fixed Pricing Regardless of Complexity of the Case
Unlike surgery centers or hospitals, our fee schedule for procedures performed at our surgical office suite is fixed, regardless of complexity of the procedure. That means if a patient paid a certain amount for a tummy tuck at our facility, but it turned out to be more involved, took longer or required a longer recovery period than planned, the price remains fixed.
Fixed pricing does not apply for procedures performed at the local hospital or surgery center because they charge operative time and postoperative recovery time by the hour.
Fixed pricing allows patients to know exactly what their procedure is going to cost, before they actually proceed. This allows patients to obtain low interest financing. Without fixed pricing, it would be very hard for patients to obtain financing.
Some Patients are Not Candidates for Office Based Outpatient Surgery
Patients who have major pre-existing medical conditions will need to have their surgeries performed at a local hospital, where they can be monitored for a few days.
Last year, about 10% of Dr. Katsaros' patients were scheduled for elective surgery at a local hospital because of preexisting medical conditions. Patients who require hospitalization for uncovered procedures, will be responsible for hospital charges. Our fixed pricing policy only applies to services provided at our facility, not at local hospitals. We can not influence hospital pricing.
For the 90% of patients who are otherwise healthy, and have no major pre-existing medical conditions, Dr. Katsaros performs these surgeries at his own facility. Healthy out-of-town patients who do not need to be hospitalized, may be observed at a local hotel. Home nursing services are available 24-hours per day.
A private ambulance service and shuttle service is also available.
Rarely, Patients Who Have Surgery at Our Facility May Require Postoperative Hospitalization
In the last 5 years, there has been one cosmetic surgery patient (out of about 1,000) who required hospitalization after a cosmetic procedures performed at our facility. This patient had a pshychiatric condition and had a pshchotropic reaction to a narcotic given in the recovery room. This patient was admitted for observation and released after two days. This same pscychiatric patient failed to show up for follow up, as was required, and tried to manage her drain in a trailer park alone. She got an infection, which required treatment with home intravenous antibiotics. Her infection cleared and she is doing well now.
Patients Are Required to Show Up For Postoperative Folllow Up
Whether patients are in-state or out-of-state, they are expected to come in for their follow up appointments. This reduces the chance for complication and infection. For example, about 30% of patients who have tummy tucks, will get postoperative fluid collections. Many of these fluid collections need to be drained in our facility. Also, it is not uncommon for sutures to "spit" through any wound. These sutures are cut postoperatively.
Patients who come in for all their postoperative follow up visits receive a complementary skin care package.