Office-based anesthesia: Anesthetic techniques, drug selection, and discharge criteria

Office-based anesthesia inherently possesses a number of unique challenges. Providing an effective anesthetic in this venue requires the use of fast-acting anesthetic agents with a high safety profile and minimal recovery time. Regardless of the anesthetic technique or specific agents selected, considerations for patient safety, rapid emergence, and prompt discharge are always of paramount importance. Additionally the anesthesiologist must consider issues such as postoperative pain and nausea and vomiting. In this article, anesthetic considerations and technical requirements to accomplish these objectives are discussed.