Outpatient and abbreviated hospitalization for vitreoretinal surgery.

We retrospectively reviewed 255 consecutive scleral buckling and vitrectomy operations dividing the patients into two groups. One group was managed traditionally with general anesthesia and postoperative hospitalization. The second group was managed with local anesthesia and with no hospitalization or abbreviated hospitalization whenever possible. There was no difference in the technical or functional success rates achieved in the two groups. We conclude that vitreoretinal surgery may be performed safely and effectively on an outpatient basis in selected cases.