THE SCOPE AND UTILISATION OF DAY CASE SURGERY IN A DEVELOPING COUNTRY

Background: The practice of day case surgery is today an attractive and an appealing one withincrease spread to many specialties and many regions of the world. However, there is a greatvariability in its use and application.Objective: To determine the scope and degree of utilisation of day case surgery in a developingcountry.Design: A prospective study.Setting: Jos University Teaching Hospital, Jos, Nigeria between January and December 2004.Subjects: One thousand and twenty four patients had elective surgical procedures carried out duringthe study period out of which, three hundred and twenty procedures were done as day cases.Main outcome measures: There is a changing trend with a great prospect for the practice of day casesurgery in the developing world.Conclusion: There is the need to harness all resources and keep abreast with relevant technologicaldrive to realise the full potentials of this practice in this part of the world