Hospitalization and cataract surgery.

A population of 250 age-matched cataract patients was studied to determine if hospitalization was required for cataract extraction. The success of the procedure was not jeopardized if immediate ambulation was effected and postsurgical care carried out entirely on an ambulatory basis in a nonhospital environment. The cost containment potential of this approach cannot be readily achieved in the face of existing regulatory systems and insurance requirements.