[Stapedectomy as day case surgery]

Day case surgery is increasing and a large proportion of procedures in otolaryngology are already being performed as day cases. There is less experience in otologic surgery and the reports are specially referred to chronic otitis media. A retrospective study of stapedectomy as a day-case procedure is presented in this report. The inclusion criteria: anaesthesic risk: ASA I, II or III; if the patient has a chronic disease it must be well controlled; they must not have postoperative hemorrhagic history; the patient must be accompanied by an adult the first 24 hours postsurgery; must have a vehicle; distance to hospital must not be more than an hour and they must have a telephone. Between October 1998 and December 2002 71 ambulatory stapedectomies were performed in our institution. 91.2% were discharged home the same day of the procedure. Audiological findings obtained six months after surgery that: 87.5% of the patients have an air-bone Uda of 10 dB or less.