Anesthesia for office endoscopy.

A trend is emerging in the United States whereby surgical procedures are gradually migrating to less complex environments. The demands of cost containment, pressures to limit unnecessary time delays, and desires for increased control have all conspired to promote ambulatory surgicenters, minor procedure center, and office surgical suites. Concomitant with this shift is a differing attitude toward anesthesia, with an increasing number of procedures using alternatives to general anesthesia, such as regional blocks and conscious sedation.