Fast-Track Approach for Breast Reconstructive Surgery in Patients With Breast Cancer

The aim of this study was to develop and implement the concept of fast-track surgery (FTS) for reconstructive breast surgery in patients with breast cancer (BC) to improve early and long-term results of treatment.

The study includes 749 patients with stage 1 to 3 BC. A total of 253 patients with BC got treatment according to FTS program and were included to the core group. Other 496 patients with BC (control group) were not included to the FTS program. Patients were treated from December 2010 to December 2014. All age groups were covered (18-70 years old).

There was a significant difference in the average length of hospital stay (LOS) which was 14.27 ± 7.00 days in the core group and 20.11 ± 7.70 days in the control group (P < .001). In advanced BC cases in the core group, LOS was >8 days lower comparing with the control group on average. The LOS in patients who underwent adjuvant chemotherapy was 2.7 times lower in the FTS group comparing with the control group.

The study results allow us to recommend the concept of FTS for implementation in broad medical practice for breast reconstructive surgery in patients with BC. The FTS program was shown to be effective in all types of breast surgery, including immediate oncoplastic and reconstructive surgeries. The gradual reduction of LOS increased the number of surgeries in our department by 75% from 2008 till 2018.