International Association for Ambulatory Surgery

Refereeing.

All contributions are read by two or more referees to ensure both accuracy and relevance. As a result, amendments to the script may be required before final acceptance. On acceptance, contributions are subject to editorial amendment to suit house style.

Copyright.

The submission of a paper will imply that, if accepted for publication, it will not be published elsewhere in the same form, in any language, without the consent of the Publisher. Before publication, authors are requested to assign Copyright to the Publisher to sanction reprints and to authorise the reprinting of complete issues or volumes according to demand. Authors’ traditional rights will not be jeopardised by assigning Copyright in this manner, as they will retain the right to re-use and veto third party publications. It is the author’s responsibility to obtain written permission to quote material that has appeared in another journal.

Preparation of Scripts.

Papers should be written in clear and concise English. Spelling should follow the Oxford English Dictionary. Authors whose native tongue is not English are assured that in-house editorial attention to their contributions will improve clarity and acceptability to readers. Contributions should be typed in double spacing using size 12 Times’ New Roman font. Do not underline anything. Leave wide margins. Number every page.

Arrangement of Papers.

Papers should be arranged in the following order

• Title page. Please see the Sample Title Page below.

article title

author(s) as first inititals, last name

affiliation(s)

abstract

grant support (if applicable)

keywords

corresponding author contact information including email  

•  50-100 word abstract should outline the purpose, scope and conclusions of the paper.
• The text suitably divided under headings, with Introduction, Methods, Results, Discussion. Begin each section and references on a new page.
• Acknowledgements (if any)
• References.

Tables.

Number tables consecutively throughout the paper (with Arabic numerals) referring to them in the text as Table 1, Table 2, etc. with a caption at the top of each table. Avoid the use of vertical rules. Tables should not duplicate results presented in graphs or text. Tables, graphs, diagrams and illustrations should be placed in the text in appropriate positions. 

Illustrations

Number illustrations (graphs, bar charts, line drawings, etc.) consecutively throughout the paper (with Arabic numerals) referring to them in the text as Fig. 1, Fig. 2, etc. with a caption at the top of each figure.

The minimum amount of descriptive text should be used on graphs and drawings (label curves, points, etc., with single letter symbols). Descriptive matter should be placed in the figure legend, which should accomplany each figure. Scale grids should not be used in graphs unless required for actual measurements. Graph axes should be labelled with variables written out in full along the length of the axes with the unit in parentheses ( e.g. Time (s) ). A table is usually more satisfactory for recording data.

References.

Indicate references to the literature in the text by Arabic numerals in square brackets that run consecutively through the paper. Where a reference is cited more than once in the text, use the same number each time. References should take the following form:

1. Paterson HM, McMillan R, S.J. Nixon SJ. True day surgery or 23-hour admission for unselected elective laparoscopic cholecystectomy? Ambulatory Surgery 2006;12: 177–180.
2. Hunt SM, McEwan J, McKenna SP. Measuring Health Status. London: Croom Helm, 1986.
3. Reich H. New techniques in advanced laparoscopic surgery. In: Sutton C. ed. Bailliere’s Clinical Obstetrics and Gynecology. New York: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, Vol 3, 1989:655-681.

Please ensure that references are complete i.e. that they include, where relevant, author’s name, article or book title, volume and issue number, publisher, year and page reference.

Sample Title Page

True day surgery or 23-hour admission for unselected

elective laparoscopic cholecystectomy?

H.M. Paterson ^a, R. McMillan ^a,b, S.J. Nixon^a

^a Dept. Surgery, Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, Little France Crescent, Edinburgh EH16 4SA, U.K. ^bAmbulatory Surgery Unit, Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, Little France Crescent, Edinburgh, EH16 4SA, U.K.

Abstract

Aim: To examine the use of the ambulatory surgery unit (ASU) for unselected elective laparoscopic cholecystectomy.

Methods: Data were collected for 1 year. High risk patients were excluded. Standard surgical, anaesthetic and discharge protocols were used.

Results: In 1 year, 258 of 275 patients (94%) admitted for elective laparoscopic cholecystectomy via the ASU were discharged within 23h of admission including 62 patients (23%) discharged on the day of surgery.

Conclusion: The ASU is the optimal location for elective laparoscopic cholecystectomy to maximise day case throughput.

This study was in part supported by a grant from XX

Keywords : Laparoscopic cholecystectomy; Day case; Ambulatory surgery

Corresponding author :- S.J. Nixon – Tel:+44 012 4567 ; Fax : +44 012 4567, E-mail: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Submission.

All papers should be submitted by e-mail as a Word document to one of the Editors-in-Chief. Anaesthetic papers should be sent to Beverly K. Philip and surgical papers to Paul E.M. Jarrett. Nursing, management and general papers may be sent to either Editor.

Electronic submissions should be accompanied, on a separate page, by a declaration naming the paper and its authors, that the paper has not been published or submitted for consideration for publication elsewhere. The same declaration signed by all the authors must also be posted to the appropriate Editor-in-Chief.

Paul E.M. Jarrett

Beverly K. Phillip

Langleys,

Queens Drive,

Oxshott,

Surrey

KT22 9PB, UK

Day Surgery Unit,

Brigham and Women’s Hospital,

75 Francis Street,

Boston,

MA 02115, USA