Day surgery is also known as same-day surgery, outpatient surgery and ambulatory surgery. Patients will go home the same day as the procedure or surgery. In some cases, a brief stay of a few hours may be required before dismissal. Day surgery procedures usually take less time for recovery than traditional surgeries.
Gallbladder Removal
A cholecystectomy, which is gallbladder removal, is done by traditional or laparoscopic surgery technique. Open or traditional surgery requires an incision in the abdomen between five and eight inches. Laparoscopic surgery, a common day surgery procedure, uses a laparoscope, which is a tiny tube with a camera attached on the tip to allow visualization on a monitor of the inside of the body. Small incisions--usually three or four--are made to insert the laparoscope and surgical tools into the abdomen. The gallbladder is dissected and removed through one of the small incisions. Since the use of the laparoscope removes the need to cut through the abdominal muscles, recovery time is much quicker than traditional surgery. Complications from laparoscopic cholecystectomy are rare, reports FamilyDoctor.org.
Tonsillectomy
A tonsillectomy, the surgical removal of the tonsils, is an outpatient procedure performed under general anesthesia to treat people with recurrent tonsillitis or severe breathing problems caused by enlarged tonsils. The tonsils are removed using a blade or a tool that uses heat or high-energy sound waves to remove the tonsils while controlling bleeding, according to MayoClinic.com. Recommendations during recovery include drinking plenty of fluids, pain medications, eating soft foods and foods that are easy to chew and swallow and getting plenty of rest with mild activities for a few days.
Rotator Cuff Repair
The rotator cuff is comprised of four muscles and several tendons at the top of the humerus, which is the upper arm bone. The rotator cuff is what holds the humerus in place and allows the arm to rotate. A rotator cuff tear, which is most common in people over age 40, may occur suddenly or develop over time, reports the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. Rotator cuff repair is the surgical repair of the rotator cuff tear using one of three techniques: arthroscopic, which is the insertion of a fiber optic scope and tiny instruments inserted through a small incision; mini-open, which allows surgeons to repair the rotator cuff through an incision about 4 to 6 cm long; and open surgical repair, which requires a larger incision. Most rotator cuff repair surgery is performed as an outpatient, states the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.
Vasectomy
Vasectomy, a surgical procedure to permanently sterilize a man, has been performed on about 50 million men, according to the Cleveland Clinic. During the procedure, the vas deferens, or the tube carrying the sperm, is cut and tied through a tiny opening in the scrotum. Only a local anesthetic is needed, and the procedure is performed as an outpatient or in the doctor's office. Follow-up tests on the semen are required about eight to 12 weeks post-vasectomy until there are two tests with no sperm present. At that time, a man is considered sterile, or unable to father a child. Complications from a vasectomy are rare, reports the clinic.
