Day-Hospital is a kind of medical organisation that allows the performance of orthopaedic treatment (mostly, surgery) while hospitalisation is restricted to daytime hours. Therefore, thanks to the development of new techniques and to new procedures, the patient has the opportunity to go back to his/her home shortly after receiving treatment. This healthcare model is becoming more and more widespread and this has happened thanks to the management advantages it presents and to the fact that those patients who experienced it have expressed a very pleased and positive opinion. Hospitalisation structures, operating rooms and the technical instruments used are the same ones used in every other treatment performed by our Operative Unit. At the moment, 3 Day Hospital beds have been assigned within the orthopaedic short hospitalisation sector. There are 3 different kinds of Day-Hospitalisation: 1. Surgical D.H. (the vast majority); surgery sessions for HAND and FOOT Surgery and other kinds of operations that require local-regional anaesthesia are performed on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. These operations have a low occurrence of general complications, limited painful symptomatology, and are easily taken care of at home during the post-operative course. Over 630 Day Hospital surgeries were performed in 2001, that is 30% of all surgeries. From January 1st 2002, knee arthroscopy (for meniscal and chondral lesions) will also be performed with daily hospitalisation: Day Surgery or One Day Surgery. The most common pathologies treated with such a procedure are: Meniscus and knee cartilage lesions Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Dupuytren's disease De Quervain's disease "Click Fingers " Hallux Valgus Metatarsal stress Morton-like Neuromas Mallet toes Removal of superficial instruments of synthesis Removal of soft tissue neoformations (synovial and tendinous cisti, bursitis, etc.) 2. Therapeutic D. H.: in the case of discalgies, peridural infiltration and other types of antalgic therapies might be considered as very efficient. 3. Rehabilitative D. H: for some traumatic after-effects, it might be a good idea to combine different actions in a single day, like the removal and replacement of special plaster casts, intermediate x-rays, physiatrical examinations and beginning of rehabilitation. ORGANISATION PROCEDURES FOR DAYTIME CYCLE SURGERY Daytime cycle surgery is a treatment opportunity offered to patients with general health conditions that are not jeopardised by general diseases, who accept to be hospitalised daily, who can count on family support, who have somebody to contact by telephone for any communication, and who live reasonably close to the hospital. Access to such kind of hospitalisation is proposed by the specialist after an adequate out-patients examination. All procedures concerning patients who have undergone surgery in Day Hospital are coordinated by the Pre-hospitalisation Service. In order to confirm the viability of surgery with daytime procedures, some preliminary laboratory check ups need to be carried out together with any other kind of examination that might appear to be necessary; all check up examinations and all pre-surgery ascertainment tests are free of any prescription charge. After such preparation, the date of hospitalisation is decided the patient receives directions to help him get ready for the programmed surgery. On the set day, the patient directly enters the orthopaedic ward for short hospitalisation, where the orthopaedic Day Hospital sector is situated; then, the patient is welcomed and prepared for the operation. After the surgery the patient remains under observation for the set time and when he/she is ready, if no contraindications are expressed, the patient can leave the hospital. When discharged from the hospital, the patient receives information on the clinical program he/she will have to follow for the next few days and a telephone number to call should he/she need further details. The therapeutic protocol is completed with the same observation methods used when other patients from other hospitalisation procedures leave the hospital.