The OBA manual is intended to provide nuts and bolts advice and resources for anesthesiologists who plan to or currently practice in the office setting.

The American Society of Anesthesiologists has had a strong interest in monitoring and guiding the safety of office-based anesthesia since the early development of the specialty.  Office-based surgery accounted for approximately 10 million of all elective procedures performed in the United States in 2005, twice the number seen in 1995.

The 2nd edition has updated materials and provides new information to commonly asked questions.  Where appropriate, the authors have provided suggested practice methods or options based on their experiences, yet consistent with ASA guidelines.

This guide was developed by the ASA Committee on Ambulatory Surgical Care and the SAMBA Committee on Office-Based Anesthesia but has not been reviewed or approved as a practice parameter or policy statement by the ASA House of Delegates or SAMBA.