[Quality assurance in ambulatory surgery]

Surgery in outpatients and surgery under hospital conditions should provide the patient with the same high level of quality and the same low risk level. The one-person surgery practice is able to offer the patient a classic "one client-one customer" relation. Thus, the continuity of treatment is optimal. On the other hand, intervening systemic complications are more easily managed by the multidisciplinary staff of a hospital with its equipment. The weaknesses of both principles can be counteracted by employing special precautions in organization. The future of surgery is to be seen in combined forms, for example, in-sourcing of a surgeon from private practice into a hospital.