"One-stop" surgery: implications for anesthesiologists of an expedited pediatric surgical process.
BACKGROUND
"One-stop surgery" (OSS) allows pediatric patients to undergo initial surgical evaluation, anesthesia, surgery, and discharge home, on the same day.


METHODS
Patients referred for umbilical hernia repair, circumcision, or central venous catheter removal completed a screening questionnaire, after which they were scheduled for initial surgical and anesthesia evaluation if eligible and had surgery if indicated on the same day.


RESULTS
Three patients had comorbidity precluding OSS, two patients refused indicated surgery, two patients did not require surgery, and 12 patients did not keep their appointment. Eighty patients had surgery without complications. Average total time was significantly shorter for OSS than non-OSS for circumcision (120 vs 142 min) and umbilical hernia repair (139 vs 165 min) but similar for catheter removal (100 vs 109 min). All families were satisfied with OSS.


CONCLUSIONS
One-stop surgery appears to be a safe, efficient, and convenient alternative to the traditional process for patients and their families.
Overdyk
F J
FJ
Department of Anesthesia and Perioperative Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston 29425-2207, USA.
Burt
N
N
Tagge
E P
EP
Hebra
A
A
Williams
A
A
Roland
P J
PJ
Wilder
A
A
Othersen
H B
HB
D000293:Adolescent; D000556:Ambulatory Surgical Procedures / Q000379:methods*; D000758:Anesthesia; D002405:Catheterization, Central Venous; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002944:Circumcision, Male; D017598:Efficiency, Organizational; D006554:Hernia, Umbilical / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D011300:Preoperative Care; D013022:South Carolina; D013503:Surgery Department, Hospital / Q000458:organization & administration*; D017748:Time Management