One hundred consecutive patients requiring elective cholecystectomy in one surgeon's practice were booked as outpatients between April 1994, and July 1995. Two patients had massive adhesions and 18 had acute disease. Outpatient surgery was successful for 94 patients, who spent an average of less than 6 h in hospital. Six patients required postoperative admission, four because of conversion and two for other causes. There were three readmissions, unrelated to outpatient status: one to treat a wound infection, one to drain a subphrenic abscess, and one to repair an umbilical hernia. Complications were one subphrenic abscess, one case of significant atelectasis, and, at the umbilical incision seven wound infections, one hematoma and one postoperative hernia. Advanced age and increased comorbidity correlated significantly with the need for hospital admission, but were not contraindications, either alone or in combination, to outpatient surgery. Patient satisfaction was high.