Post-operative care and patient satisfaction after ambulatory surgery for breast cancer patients

Aim: This study aimed to evaluate patient information provided, the management of post-operative symptoms and post-operative care, and patient satisfaction with ambulatory breast surgery over a 1-year period. Methods: From January to December 2000, all breast cancer patients undergoing conservative breast surgery were offered surgery as an outpatient procedure at the Ambulatory Surgery Unit. Results: Two hundred and thirty six patients underwent outpatient surgery. None were readmitted during the first night or the first week. Two hundred and nineteen patients completed a questionnaire. One hundred and sixty nine patients (group 1) underwent wide local excision (WLE) and 50 (group 2), WLE and axillary lymphadenectomy. Patients in group 2 experienced more pain at discharge from the hospital (p <= 0.01) and during the first week after discharge (p <= 0.00001) than patients in group 1. The mean overall satisfaction score was 8.97 on a scale of 1-10. Post-operative information provided by the surgeon before discharge from the hospital was rated 8.90 on a scale of 1-10 white information provided by the nurse was rated 9.33 (p < 0.0001). Conclusion: Ambulatory surgery for breast cancer patients is safe and popular with patients, however, post-operative pain presents problem. (c) 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.