Postoperative analgesia and discharge criteria for day surgery

After day surgery, patients are discharged within a relatively short time. A meticulous and safe anaesthetic technique, which enables a good-quality recovery with minimal postoperative morbidity, is required. The provision of adequate analgesia from the time of operation and the following few days is paramount for patient satisfaction. Multimodal analgesia using regular paracetamol and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, with local anaesthesia where appropriate and weak opioids for breakthrough pain, is ideal. Postoperative nausea and vomiting should be minimized by adequate hydration and avoiding long-acting opioids. Discharge criteria must be robust, although the requirement for oral intake and voiding before discharge in low-risk patients is currently being questioned. Patients must be given adequate verbal and written instructions on pain relief and possible complications before discharge.