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1. Thirty-five million Americans undergo surgery every year, most of them women. Many women will face a recommendation for surgery that involves their reproductive system, typically called gynecologic surgery.

2. Today, more than half of all surgeries, including many gynecological procedures, are done on an outpatient basis. Outpatient surgery refers to operations that do not require an overnight hospital stay. Instead, the surgery is performed at a hospital ambulatory surgery center, or doctor's office, and you return home in less than 24 hours.

3. Generally, outpatient or ambulatory surgery is appropriate for simple procedures that can be done in 60 to 90 minutes and don't require a person to be closely monitored afterwards. Outpatient surgery offers several advantages over surgery that requires hospitalization, such as a lower risk of infection after surgery, a shorter recovery period, recovery at home, fewer delays and shorter waiting times, lower cost, and less disruption of your schedule.

4. Outpatient surgery may not be appropriate if a large incision has to be made, or if the risk of complications is high. Women with chronic conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, or high blood pressure, or who are otherwise at risk for complications that could require hospitalization, also might not be eligible.

5. Same-day surgery puts more responsibility on you to complete the necessary preoperative tests, manage pain medications, keep incisions clean, and follow through with postoperative care on your own. You may not be a good candidate for outpatient surgery if you have small children to care for at home and are unable to take on the added responsibility.

6. In the weeks before your surgery, you should stop smoking and avoid excessive alcohol; eat a well-balanced diet including plenty of vitamin C-rich foods, which may help promote tissue healing; avoid aspirin or other aspirin-like medications that interfere with blood clotting for seven days prior; exercise regularly to build energy, and maintain strength; and ready your home, including preparing food and rearranging furniture if necessary.

7. During the informed consent process, you should discuss the nature of your condition, the nature of the proposed surgery, the risks of the proposed surgery, the alternatives to the proposed procedure and the risks and benefits of these alternatives.

8. You can donate your own blood prior to surgery, in case you need a transfusion during surgery. This is called an autologous blood donation. If you're considering autologous blood donation, ask your surgeon if you are likely to need blood and if so, how much. Also, consider taking iron supplements to rebuild your blood supply before surgery. Call the Red Cross and ask about fees, insurance coverage, and about freezing your blood if your surgery is delayed.

9. Although a normal reaction to surgery, pain can interfere with recovery by causing you to suppress coughs, which can lead to fluid in the lungs and pneumonia; slowing the return to normal digestion; preventing you from getting out of bed, raising the risk of blood clots; and increasing stress, depression, and anxiety.

10. There are several ways to relieve pain after surgery. Narcotics, such as morphine, codeine, hydromorphone (Dilaudid) and meperidine (Demerol) may be prescribed for severe pain following surgery. Acetaminophen, prescription and non-prescription nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, such as ibuprofen, and similar medications, may also be used, either as liquids or solids. Local anesthetic injections or anesthetic creams may help prepare your body for a procedure or relieve pain afterwards. Ask the surgeon or anesthesiologist to discuss these options with you beforehand. One solution to avoiding inadequate doses of pain relievers is patient-controlled intravenous analgesia (PCA), which is usually used in hospitals for acute pain following surgery. In PCA, the patient is connected to a machine called a PCA pump. When the patient pushes a control button, the machine delivers a dose of narcotic or other pain reliever intravenously. The doses are smaller than what would be given by injection, but because the drug goes directly into the bloodstream, relief can occur within seconds. Other non-medical approaches to pain management can be very successful. These may include relaxation, applying heat or ice to the surgical site, and massage and stretching exercises. When preparing for surgery, discuss with your health care professional what possible pains to expect after your procedure and how to best manage any possible symptoms.