[Possibilities for ambulatory pediatric surgery in the district hospital].

Primary surgical care for children generally comes under the responsibility of the hospital at district level. Selected surgical problems of children may be exclusively handled on an outpatient basis under certain conditions relating to personnel, space, and equipment. The recommendation of expansion of outpatient paediatric surgery seems to be justified by experience so far obtained from 485 cases. Shorter waiting periods, relief on hospital bed capacity, and prevention of possible damage due to hospitalisation are noteworthy advantages of the approach.