Ambulatory anesthesia in plastic surgery: opportunities and challenges

Abstract

In 2013, there were 17 million procedures performed by plastic and reconstructive surgeons in the United States in the private office or ambulatory “surgicenter” setting, as well as additional operations performed in hospitals on an outpatient basis. As interest in performing increasingly complex surgical procedures on an outpatient basis continues to grow, the surgeon and anesthesiologist alike must be prepared to offer safe and reliable anesthesia and analgesia in the ambulatory setting. Surgeons must be aware of the possible techniques that will be employed in their surgeries in order to anticipate and prepare patients for possible postoperative side effects, and anesthesiologists must be prepared to offer such techniques in order to ensure a relatively rapid return to normal activity despite potentially having undergone major surgery. The following is a review of the specific considerations that should be given to ambulatory plastic surgery patients with comments on recent developments in the techniques used to safely administer agreeable and effective anesthesia.