With improved technology and advances in anesthesia and pain control, many less invasive surgical procedures are now being performed on an outpatient, or ambulatory, basis.
Common procedures that are now routinely performed on an outpatient basis include tonsillectomies, hernia repairs, gallbladder removals, some cosmetic surgeries and cataract surgeries. Given the millions of procedures performed every year, complications from outpatient procedures are relatively uncommon.
Not all patients are candidates for outpatient surgery and some procedures still require hospitalization. A patient’s medical history and the advice of the surgeon and anesthesiologist are important in determining if the procedure is best performed on an outpatient or inpatient basis.