The value of infusing a total of 2 litres of intravenous fluids intra- and postoperatively was assessed in 212 fasting patients undergoing minor surgery procedures. The treated patients (108) recovered from the effects of surgery and anaesthesia more quickly than patients without fluids (104). The results of improved quality of the postoperative recovery, a shorter hospital stay and earlier return to work, especially in those patients who had some difficulty in recovering from anaesthesia on previous occasions, encourages the more frequent use of intravenous fluids in minor surgery.