continuing education Patient Care After Discharge From the Ambulatory Surgical Center

An important and often forgotten aspect of postoperative care occurs after the patient is discharged from the ambulatory surgical center. With more than 60 % of all surgeries and procedures occurring on an ambulatory basis, what happens after the patient is no longer in continuous professional care is of concern to the ambulatory nurse. Numerous physical postoperative complaints are common and expected sequelae of anesthesia and surgery in the ambulatory patient. In this article, important postdischarge complica-tions are reviewed and contemporary management options discussed. The information contained in this review article is valuable to the provider in educating patients regarding their anticipated course of postoperative recovery. © 2001 by American Society of PeriAnesthesia Nurses. Objectives—Based on the content of this article, the reader should be able to (1) identify important postdischarge complications to provide patients with comprehensive discharge instructions regarding their continued recovery at home; (2) discuss contemporary management options available to treat postdischarg