Outpatient surgery, also referred to as ambulatory surgery, same-day surgery or day surgery, is surgery that does not require an overnight hospital stay. The term “outpatient” arises from the fact that surgery patients may go home and do not need an overnight hospital bed. The purpose of outpatient surgery is to keep hospital costs down.

Outpatient surgery has grown in popularity due to the rise in outpatient surgery centers and improved technology. Outpatient surgery centers often allow patients to get medical surgery and cosmetic surgery done in much more luxurious settings than a state hospital and are often preferred by patients for minor surgical procedures. Improved technology has also increased the frequency of outpatient surgery procedures, with shorter medical procedure duration and fewer complications it make sense to let patients go home sooner. About 65% of all surgical procedures are done on an out patient basis.

Patients should check with their doctor for all information covering preparation for outpatient procedures. Complications related to surgery occur less than 1% of the time in outpatient settings. However, in terms of patient safety, non-hospital settings are not as regulated as are hospitals. Patients should inquire about all ambulatory clinics, surgical centers, and physicians' offices to make sure they meet state guidelines.

[edit] See also

Look up outpatient surgery in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

[edit] External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Hospital

• Outpatient Surgery Magazine
• NCHS definition of Outpatient Surgery
• Tips for outpatient surgery patients.

This medical treatment article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. v • d • e