Paediatric day case surgery

Paediatric day surgery is common and increasingly more complex surgeries are being carried out on more complex children. The benefits to the child and parent include less disruption to daily routines and fewer psychological and emotional effects than an overnight stay would incur. The use of day case services improves efficiency and is more cost effective for organizations. To deliver high-quality paediatric day surgery services there are several key components to address. This article discusses the role of preoperative assessment and the need to consider each case individually despite robust inclusion/exclusion criteria. Optimization of preoperative hydration, pain management and prevention of postoperative nausea and vomiting are highlighted as important factors to successful day case surgery.