Many gynecologic and obstetric procedures can be done on an ambulatory basis. There is little difference in care between ambulatory and inpatient surgery during the preoperative and intraoperative periods. Thus, the primary deciding factor as to the appropriateness of ambulatory care rather than hospitalization lies in the postoperative requirements. These include the type and amount of analgesia that will be required, the intensiveness of nursing care needed, the need for unusual postoperative monitoring, the potential for complications, and the necessity for frequent postoperative evaluation by the surgeons.