Current Status of Outpatient Anesthesia in University Hospitals in Korea

Seung, Ik Sang

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Outpatient procedures account for more than half the operations performed in the United States, but the status of outpatient anesthesia in Korea has not been documented yet. The present study was designed to evaluate the current status of outpatient anesthesia in university hospitals in Korea.
METHODS
Thirty-nine university hospitals were surveyed by questionnaire in February 1997. Objects were patients underwent outpatient operations under general, intravenous or regional anesthesia except local anesthesia by surgeon from January 1996 to December 1996.
RESULTS
One university hospital started outpatient anesthesia in 1980 and now ten of 39 universities (25.6 %) provide the procedures. In 1995 one of 10 university hospitals has opened day- surgery center having 7 operating rooms and the capability of 24 hours overnight stays. The other 9 hospitals use one of in-patient operating rooms for outpatient procedures. The utility rate per year was 3.06 +/- 1.59 % and 11.49 % in 9 university hospitals and day-surgery center respectively during 1996. Outpatients were mainly classified as physical status 1 and 2 by American Society of Anesthesiologists, and 54.0 38.3 % to 70 % of patients were distributed under 15 years of age. Surgical procedures were relatively simple and 10 surgical departments were participated into the field of outpatient anesthesia. Inhalation techniques and intravenous anesthesia were used predominantly. Complications were sore throat, nausea and vomiting, delayed recovery of consciousness, bleeding at the operative site, fever and so on.
CONCLUSIONS
I think that outpatient anesthesia in Korea has grown at very slow rate over the last 4 decades and that it is very low utility rate per year compared to United States. So we have to try to get more interests and supports about the outpatient anesthesia setting.