Because of the limited access to health care providers in ambulatory care, individual patients must assume presurgical and postsurgical responsibility for their own well-being. The purpose of this study was to identify optimal methods of preparing patients for surgery. The clinical outcomes, length of stay in PACU, and satisfaction of two groups of patients were compared using an experimental design. Thirty patients who were scheduled for laparoscopic tubal ligation were randomly assigned to either the experimental (structured) or control (unstructured) education program. Clinical data about return to baseline vital signs, use of analgesics, experiences of nausea and vomiting, and length of stay in PACU were assessed via retrospective chart review. Patient satisfaction with the instruction program was measured by a telephone interview using the Patient Satisfaction Index. Results of t-tests, repeated measures (ANOVA), and sign tests identified no significant differences concerning clinical outcomes except for analgesics requested and received. Time between Phase I and Phase II and discharge was not statistically significant. Future research is needed on major ambulatory surgical procedures combined with an alternate method to assess attitudinal data.