[Selection of patients for ambulatory surgery]

Operation by an ambulatory surgical unit is becoming much more common. Both more extensive surgical procedures and patients with significant diseases are now being scheduled for day surgery. This makes it necessary to establish systems by which to identify and evaluate patients at risk. The author discusses certain factors that must be considered when deciding whether a patient is suited for day surgery. Many ASA (American Society of Anesthesiologists) class 3 patients, and in the case of minor surgical interventions, even some class 4 patients, can safely be treated on a day-case basis in a well-planned ambulatory unit. In Norway today, there are large variations among hospitals as regards which procedures and which patients are accepted for day surgery.