Breast cancer surgery in an ambulatory setting

Aim: To evaluate the feasibility and efficacy of outpatient surgery for early breast cancer in an Italian ambulatory setting and to assess its benefits. Patients and methods: A review of 88 women treated for breast cancer from an outpatient facility was undertaken from July 2003 to December 2006. The patients were selected for ambulatory surgery according to specific social, environmental, physical and oncological criteria. Results: Eighty-eight women underwent a total of 107 surgical interventions in an ambulatory setting. Sixty out of the eighty-eight patients (68%) received a one-day conclusive surgical treatment, and the remaining 28 patients were promptly treated in two phases. Among this latter group, 18 patients (68%) were treated only in an outpatient facility, whereas the other 10 patients require reintervention with hospitalization. There were no intraoperative complications. In the postoperative period, 14 complications were observed: 6 wound infections, 3 hematomas, 1 axillary seroma and 4 readmissions. The patients' readmissions were due to nausea and emesis in one case, disphnoea in another case, and only two readmissions were due to surgical complications (hematoma in both cases). Patients that were interviewed exhibited a high level of satisfaction from the treatments they received. Discussion: This study confirms the feasibility, efficacy and safety of the outpatient setting regime, which is highly appreciated by women and is more cost effective than surgery in a hospital setting.