The safety of office-based surgery: review of recent literature from several disciplines

To review recent literature pertaining to adverse outcomes and mortality associated with office-based surgery.

Representative articles from the general and plastic surgery, medical, health regulatory, and dermatology literature.

Information regarding which surgical treatments should be performed, which specialties should perform them, what level of anesthesia is appropriate, and who should administer it was assessed, with particular attention to issues of patient safety.

Office-based surgery is safe and cost-effective. We caution against attempts to prohibit or severely restrict this important aspect of medical care.