title: Maxillofacial surgery and the role of the extended day case.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the change in use of a day surgery unit over a 21-year period.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective analysis.
  
  
  METHODS
  The day surgery unit within a central London dental hospital.
  
  
  METHODS
  The operating and anaesthetic records of surgical activity in 1973, 1983, 1993 and 1994.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A six-fold increase in the total number of dentoalveolar procedures performed was demonstrated during the period studied. However, these procedures represented only 77.6% of surgical activity in 1994 compared with 98.9% in 1973.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Day case surgery appears to be advantageous to patients, clinicians, hospital managers and purchasing authorities. The development of more specialist day case services and facilities within "dental centres' is proposed as a means of ensuring that the specialty is able to adapt to the changing patterns of health care in the future.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Eastman Dental Institute of Oral Health Care Sciences, London.
authors.forename: C J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Bryant
authors.forename: S J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Crean
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Hopper
mesh_terms: D000556:Ambulatory Surgical Procedures / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003740:Dental Clinics / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006801:Humans; D008131:London; D009741:Nursing Staff, Hospital / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013503:Surgery Department, Hospital / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D013515:Surgery, Oral / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*