During the past decade the majority of pediatric surgery has been performed in the ambulatory setting. Some of the reasons for performing surgery on an outpatient basis are reducing the cost of medical care, and offering a level of care comparable to that received by the inpatient. The criteria for selecting patients and procedures for outpatient surgery vary greatly among institutions. Children rarely have systemic disease and are good anesthesia risks. Inhalational induction is the most commonly used technique in pediatric anesthesia. Intravenous induction is the method of choice in older children. The success of regional anesthetic and pain management techniques has played an important role in improving the quality of care for pediatric patients undergoing ambulatory surgery. Rapid recovery and early ambulation are major objectives in ambulatory surgery.