Ambulatory surgery in urogynaecology

Ambulatory surgery offers advantages to both patients and providers. It is imperative to ensure appropriate case selection, pre-operative counseling, a suitable environment, trained staff, adequate analgesia and post-operative care both in the hospital and the community. Many well-established urogynaecological procedures such as cystoscopy and vaginal repair may be performed in an ambulatory setting. Newer procedures such as injection of botulinum toxin or peri-urethral bulking agents and tension-free tapes for stress incontinence may also be performed in this way. To date, the literature is deficient in robust studies comparing outcomes and patient satisfaction between conventional and ambulatory surgical procedures, and randomized controlled trials are required.