Outpatient Surgery

Enjoy more comfort and convenience with outpatient surgery at OSF HealthCare. Your same-day procedure allows you to rest and recover in your own home instead of a hospital.

What is outpatient surgery?

Outpatient procedures don’t require an overnight hospital stay. They’re often minimally invasive, which means smaller incisions and less pain. You may also hear them called ambulatory surgery, day surgery, same-day surgery or office-based surgery.

Benefits

Outpatient surgery has many benefits. If your doctor recommends an outpatient procedure, you can expect:

Convenience – Inpatient surgeries are sometimes rescheduled due to emergencies. Outpatient procedures are more likely to happen on the day and time they’re scheduled.
Comfort – Many people find their home more restful than a busy hospital.
Speed – You’ll be in and out of the surgical facility within a day or even within just a few hours. Traditional surgeries require more monitoring and longer stays.
Value – Outpatient procedures usually cost less than traditional inpatient surgeries. That’s because you won’t have an overnight hospital stay to pay for.

Outpatient Procedures

Outpatient procedures are available for many different health conditions. Talk to your doctor about same-day surgery options for:

Brain surgery, such as Gamma Knife procedures or responsive neurostimulation
Cancer treatments, including breast cancer surgery
Joint replacement
Lung procedures, including lung biopsies
Pediatric surgery for children and babies
Robot-assisted surgery in which your surgeon uses a robot to perform the operation
Spine surgery to treat problems that cause back pain
Stomach and digestive health procedures, such as gallbladder removal or appendectomy
Women’s health procedures, including fibroid surgery or hysterectomy

What to Expect

If you have outpatient surgery, arrive at the surgical facility at your scheduled time to check in. A nurse brings you back to the operating room when it’s time for your surgery. Afterward, your nursing team monitors you for a few hours as you wake up from anesthesia or sedation.

Depending on your type of surgery, you may need a friend or family member present to drive you home. Before you leave, a nurse will talk to you and your support person about any prescriptions, home care and follow-up appointments.

Learn more about what to expect from surgery at OSF HealthCare.

Schedule a Surgical Consultation

Ask your primary care doctor for a surgical consultation referral with an OSF HealthCare outpatient surgeon. Need a primary care provider? Browse our directory.

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