SHORT-STAY SURGERY FOR BREAST-CANCER - AN AUDIT OF AN EXPERIENCE IN AREGIONAL CANCER CENTER IN NORTHERN INDIA

At the Institute Rotary Cancer Hospital, AIIMS, New Delhi, 246 patient s of breast cancer were operated on from June 1993 to June 1996; 82 su itable patients were discharged within 48 h (short stay surgery, SSS) after surgery and 164 were discharged after 48 h (conventional stay su rgery, CSS), After discharge, patients of both groups were followed in the outpatient clinic until the removal of sutures and drains, There was no mortality or readmission for a complication in either group, Me an post-operative hospital stay was 1.5 days in the SSS group, and 3.3 days in the CSS group, There was no statistically significant differe nce in the incidence of post-operative complications like wound infect ion (4.8% vs 4.2%), flap necrosis (6% vs 5.4%), seroma (14% vs 19%), a nd the average number of hospital visits (3.42 vs 3.2) in SSS and CSS groups, respectively, Patient acceptance of early discharge was good e xcept in the day care group, The study supports the safety and feasibi lity of short stay surgery for breast cancer in certain circumstances for properly selected patients.