Evaluation of a short-stay program for patients undergoing mastectomy

✍ Scribed by Dr. Lawrence D. Wagman; Jose J. Terz; L. Robert Hill; J. David Beatty; William A. Kokal; Daniel U. Riihimaki; David M. Hyams; Marcia Grant; Angela Hart; Terri Kirshner; Marge Northrup

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 1989
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 463 KB
• Volume: 41
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0022-4790
• DOI: 10.1002/jso.2930410209

✦ Synopsis

Two hundred twenty-eight patients were included in a retrospective study to evaluate the morbidity and feasibility of early discharge after mastectomy. Group I (early discharge, n = 75) patients were given pre-and postoperative instruction related to wound and drain care. Group I1 (concurrent control, n = 44) was given similar postoperative instruction, but received no preoperative teaching. Group I11 (historical controls, n = 109) underwent surgery during a period of more liberal hospitalization and discharge policies. The groups were similar in age, cultural background, operations performed, and pathologic diagnosis. Length of stay for groups I, 11, and I11 was 5.5 * 0.4, 3.5 -+ 0.2, and 8.6 -+ 0.3 days, respectively. Groups I and I1 had a significantly shorter stay than group 111. There was no difference among the groups for the presence of wound erythema, rate of primary healing, seroma formation, or wound infection. The practice of same-day admission and early discharge to limit length of stay for patients undergoing mastectomy is safe and effective.