A 9 yr. old girl died after a tonsillectomy; the hospital had sent her home even though

[Ms. Toad]

28. It is personal experience I based my comment on

My daughter goes under annually, for cancer screening (for the last 8 years, and has had three additional outpatient surgeries). I've had 5 outpatient surgeries, and 3 inpatient surgeries (if I'm counting correctly). My spouse has has 6 (5 outpatient & 1 inpatient). Those include at least 9 different facilities (perhaps more).

In each of those 22 times under anesthesia or heavy sedation we were evaluated before being released - including one time when my spouse shut down the recovery room hours after everyone left because she was slow to awaken. They would never have allowed us to leave the surgical center without having awakened enough to stand, stablize, and sit in a weelchair - or walk to the exit - of the building, and to answer questions about day, where we were, and why we were there.