Same Day Discharge After Mastectomy and Immediate Implant-Based Breast Reconstruction: A Retrospective Cohort...

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Plastic Surgery
• Health Services Research

Background:

• Overnight admission is the standard for immediate implant-based breast reconstruction (IBR).
• Assessing same-day discharge as an alternative is crucial for optimizing patient care and hospital resources.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the safety, feasibility, and outcomes of same-day discharge versus overnight admission after immediate implant-based breast reconstruction.
• To compare complication rates, readmissions, and reoperations between the two discharge protocols.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of the 2015-2020 National Surgical Quality Improvement Program database.
• Stratification of patients into same-day discharge (study) and overnight admission (control) groups.
• Statistical analysis including logistic regression, Pearson chi-squared, and t-tests to compare outcomes.

Main Results:

• A total of 21,923 patients were analyzed; 1361 in the same-day discharge group and 20,562 in the overnight admission group.
• Similar total wound complication rates (4.5% vs. 4.3%, P=0.72).
• Significantly lower readmission rates for same-day discharge patients (2.3% vs. 4.2%, P=0.001).

Conclusions:

• Immediate implant-based breast reconstruction with same-day discharge is a safe and feasible option.
• This approach is associated with significantly lower readmission rates compared to the standard overnight stay.
• Same-day discharge offers potential benefits for both patients and hospitals, improving efficiency and potentially reducing healthcare costs.