Outpatient anorectal surgery.

Over a period of 16 months, three-fourths of the proctologic surgery performed by our clinic was done on an outpatient basis. By doing so, 1,200 patient visits and approximately 300 histories, physicals, and discharge summaries are eliminated, while obviously benefiting patients and reducing health care costs. Thus, we can conclude that hospitalization is not necessary for the majority of proctologic surgery patients.