Effect of return hospital visits on economics of ambulatory surgery.

This review examines the effect of unanticipated admission, return hospital visits and readmission on the economics of ambulatory surgery. The overall rate of unanticipated admission was approximately 1% and the overall rate of readmission to hospital was approximately 1%. Ambulatory surgery allows total cost savings of 20-50% when compared with inpatient surgery. If 98% of ambulatory surgery patients experience uneventful recovery, the decrease in cost savings caused by unanticipated admission and return hospital visit is very small. Modifications of anesthesia and surgical technique can help to further reduce the incidence of unanticipated admission or readmission to hospital.