| Sumario: | A study was conducted to examine the changing patterns of surgical care in the U.S. between 1980 and 1995. Data were gathered from the National Hospital Discharge Surgery and the National Survey of Ambulatory Surgery. The results indicated that the major trend in surgery during the period 1980-95 was a decline in the rate of inpatient operations, but that there was a growth in ambulatory surgery that outweighed this decline. In addition, it was found that postoperative nausea, headaches, and drowsiness were lessened by improvements in anaesthesia and that minimally invasive surgeries have reduced surgical trauma and facilitated a more expedient return to normal activities.
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