The safety of office-based surgery: review of recent literature from several disciplines.
OBJECTIVE
To review recent literature pertaining to adverse outcomes and mortality associated with office-based surgery.


METHODS
Representative articles from the general and plastic surgery, medical, health regulatory, and dermatology literature.


METHODS
Information regarding which surgical treatments should be performed, which specialties should perform them, what level of anesthesia is appropriate, and who should administer it was assessed, with particular attention to issues of patient safety.


CONCLUSIONS
Office-based surgery is safe and cost-effective. We caution against attempts to prohibit or severely restrict this important aspect of medical care.
Hancox
John G
JG
Center for Dermatology Research, Department of Dermatology, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC 27157-1071, USA.
Venkat
Arun P
AP
Coldiron
Brett
B
Feldman
Steven R
SR
Williford
Phillip M
PM
D000556:Ambulatory Surgical Procedures / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000401:mortality; D006801:Humans; D012449:Safety