[Surgical treatment in day surgery of uncertain breast lesions]

New models of care are proposed to reduce the costs of traditional hospitalization and to improve the utilization of resources in surgery. Day surgery is widely employed in breast surgery. In this study we report the conversion rate and causes in ordinary hospitalization and we identify some contraindications related to breast surgery in day surgery.

A cohort study was performed on 306 patients operated on between July 1999 and December 2001 for breast lesions with uncertain interpretation at the clinical and/or instrumental examination. Those patients who lived at a distance of less than 50 km from the hospital, had a telephone, a suitable house, direct family support and, if necessary, could benefit from home health care in addition to hospitalization, were considered as eligible to day surgery. The kind of anesthesia and hospital admission were established after clinical, psycho-emotional, and socio-familiar evaluation of the patients by the surgeon and the anesthetist.

A total of 250 excisional biopsies and 56 biopsies with a Mammotome were performed. Surgery was performed under local anesthesia in 278 patients and general anesthesia in 28 subjects. Observation exceeding 24 hours was only necessary in 10 patients reporting hypotension syndrome and anxiety. The conversion rate in ordinary hospitalization was 0.3%. Postoperative morbidity was 1%.

Day surgery is an effective model of care in breast surgery for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes without axillary dissection. A good selection of patients, perfect interdisciplinary collaboration, and an efficient structural organization are necessary to control the complication and conversion rates of traditional hospitalization.