Short stay surgery in pediatric urology.

Short stay surgery represents an innovation in the delivery and cost of medical care. The short stay surgical unit at the Children's Hospital of Michigan has provided urologic care for 311 children during the most recent 12 months of its operation. Eighteen patients (5.7 per cent) required postoperative hospitalization. No children have required rehospitalization after discharge from the short stay unit. Short stay surgery in pediatric urology has resulted in more economic and efficient use of hospital facilities and has decreased cost per procedure. Morbidity has not increased. Short stay surgery is well accepted by the child, parent and referring physician, and has not posed problems for the operating surgeons. Short stay urologic surgery is safe and applicable to many diagnostic and therapeutic urologic surgical procedures.