Surgery in an out-patient setting has become a global trend and is expanding throughout the world. By 2020, 75 per cent of all surgical operations will be carried out in ambulatory surgery centres/units.
In India, the concept is currently in its infancy, with only 20 per cent of all surgical procedures being done on an out-patient basis.
India is fast catching up with the trend. The ambulatory surgical care market is expected to reach $6 billion in 2017, growing at 20 per cent a year.
Around 250 types of surgeries in ten specialties can be performed in day care hospitals.
Treatment in these centres costs 47 per cent less than that in hospitals, thereby making them an economically better option. However, this cost-advantage is yet to be proven in the Indian market.