The History of Anesthesiology

[Pages:90]The History of Anesthesiology

Reprint Series: Volume 22

Ambulatory Anesthesia

Unidentified photograph of an outpatient, minor surgical operation, probably early 1900s, vicinity of Pittsfield, Massachusetts. That seems to be at a hospital but not in an operating room: the fireplace is curtained off, possibly ether bottles on the mantle, gas illumination, curtains drawn, and a gas heat instrument sterilizer. Surgeon, anesthetizer, and patient appear to have come in off the street while the nurse is a regular member of the staff. (Photograph courtesy of the Boston Medical Library in the Francis A. Countway Library of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts.)

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History of Anesthesiology Reprint Series Volume 22, 1992

Ambulatory Anesthesia

Introduction

Several decades have elapsed since the reincarnation of anesthetic administration for outpatients undergoing more intricate surgical procedures. And there seems to be no leveling-off of activity as the accumulated experience has led to relaxation of the criteria for acceptance of patients and the application of new surgical technologies. While the impetus originally was an economic one, that is the cost:benefit ratio of nonhospitalization, doubt has now arisen about the putative gains in the current climate ofrisinghealth care costs. Because of these several considerations, the Wood Library-Museum Committee on Publications, B. Raymond Fink, M.D. in charge, has elected to focus the 1992 Historical Reprint Series on the development of Ambulatory Anesthesia.

Leroy D. Vandam, M.D.

AMBULATORY ANESTHESIA

SELECTED PAPERS

1. Vandam LD. A history of ambulatory anesthesia. Anesth Clin NA 1987; 5:1-13.

2. Nicoll JH. The surgery of infancy. Br Med J 1909; 18:753-754.

3. Waters RM. The downtown anesthesia clinic. Am J Surg (Suppl) 1919; 33:71-73.

4. Webb E, Graves H. Anesthesia for the ambulant patient. Anesth Analg 1959; 38:359-363.

5. Cohen D, Dillon JB. Anesthesia for outpatient surgery. JAMA 1966; 196:98-100.

6. Ford JL, Reed WA. The surgicenter -- an innovation in the delivery and cost of medical care. Ariz Med 1969; 26:801-804.

7. Reed WA, Ford JL. Development of an independent outpatient surgical center. Int Anesth Clin 1976; 14:113-130.

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A HISTORY OF AMBULATORY ANESTHESIA

By Leroy D. Vandam, PhB, MD, MA

From ANESTHESIA CLINICS OF NORTH AMERICA (Outpatient Anesthesia), 5 (1): 1-13, March 1987

Reprinted by permission of The W. B. Saunders Company, Publishers

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