[Possibilities and limits of ambulatory surgery--introduction]

The necessary prerequisites for quality assurance are described. An analysis of the frequency and the scope of outpatient operation in the 91 surgical practices in Northern Württemberg, FRG, shows that, for the average practice, its significance is rather low. In contrast to this, the statistics of 41 practices of the "working group of outpatient operation of the BDC" show a clearly higher and more sophisticated capability, due to an annual operation frequency of 683 to 3008 operations. Reference is made to the importance of the out-patient operation for health politics.