Ambulatory surgery – are there limitations?
Autori:
Ana Brundula, Morena Milić, Duje Rako, Iva Smiljanić, Ada Barić Grgurević, Iva Korečić Zrinjščak, Perislav Lauš, Ivo Jurišić
Sažetak
Summary
Introduction and aim: The term ambulatory surgery dates from the early 20th century. It was James Nicoll who in the year 1909. published the study in British Medical Journal, which demonstrated the results in 8988 children operated by principles of ambulatory surgery. According to the International Association for Ambulatory Surgery (IAAS), a patient in ambulatory surgery is defined by admission to a healthcare facility with the purpose of diagnostic procedure and/or operation, where a speedy recovery is anticipated and there is no need for hospitalization. The development of surgical methods, anaesthesia techniques and analgesia modalities encourage the exponential growth in the number of patients treated via ambulatory surgery. Methods: A literature review was performed via MEDLINE database using key terms. In this paper we are showing the current basis of success of ambulatory surgery: strict preoperative assessment, choosing the optimal anaesthesia and surgery techniques and patient discharge by guidelines. Results: Optimal selection of patients based on age, weight, comorbidities, ASA score and social parameters is crucial. If approached on individual basis and followed by defined duration of operation and low incidence of perioperative complications by choosing the right anaesthesia techniques and medications, it results in postoperative success and significant cost savings. Conclusion: The advantages of ambulatory surgery are clear and well-defined: it is patient-oriented, economically more favourable, and poses a lower risk of perioperative complications and intrahospital infections.