[Pediatric outpatient surgery]

Abstract

Background: The number of outpatient surgeries for routine surgical interventions continues to increase, especially in adults. For many patients, there is no doubt that interventions like arthroscopy will be performed on an outpatient basis. Regarding urologic surgeries in adults (e.g., vasectomy, hydrecelectomy), outpatient treatment is well established. For adults such a procedure represents a well-calculable situation in most cases, as the patient can quite accurately imagine the events that will follow. In terms of pediatric outpatient surgery, the scenario is sometimes quite different. Parents are more anxious and uncertain because they must decide for the well-being of their children and they often do not exactly know what will happen during the procedure. In addition, they do not have to decide for themselves but for their children.

Discussion: Unfortunately, parents often lack information prior to surgery. Therefore, all persons involved in the treatment of children (e.g., urologists, anesthesiologists, nurses) must be trained and educated in giving adequate and appropriate information especially for parents.

Conclusion: The purpose of this article is to provide different starting points for an optimized preparation and care of children and parents concerning outpatient surgery in pediatric urology.

Keywords: Ambulatory surgical procedures; Informed consent; Pain management, children; Regional anesthesia; Urology.