Outpatient surgery and anesthesia.

Outpatient surgery and anesthesia are offered as a means of reducing the costs of health care delivery. Certain principles for outpatient anesthesia are apparent. Inhalational anesthesia is preferred over many intravenous agents. If intravenous agents are used, the doses must be limited. Intravenous agents that are quickly metabolized or redistributed in the body away from the brain are preferred. Inhalational anesthesia inductions that avoid or minimize intravenous agents are preferred. Nerve blocks are useful for outpatient surgery, but may require supplementation with intravenous agents, which in turn may slow recovery.