Emerging concepts in anesthesia safety in the ambulatory setting: ENT and Ophthalmology

Harvard HMS

In 1979, fewer than 10% of all surgeries were performed as outpatient procedures. Fifty years later, 70% of operative procedures have evolved beyond the walls of hospitals. It is estimated that there were 144 million outpatient procedures in 2023 with 15-20% occurring in office-based surgical settings. The exponential growth of anesthesia services for ambulatory patients has been driven by a combination of advances in technology, patient and provider preference, the need to lower costs, and…