Trial Information

Expedited Discharge of Patients Undergoing Pedicled TRAM Flap Breast Reconstruction Procedure in Ambulatory Surgical Facility: Quality of Recovery Outcomes

Women's College Hospital is the first and only independent ambulatory care hospital in
Ontario, and the only hospital in Ontario with a primary focus on women's health. Patients
undergoing breast reconstruction following breast cancer at our institution are now
undergoing expedited discharge at 18 hrs postoperatively. To facilitate next day discharge,
a multidisciplinary group was formed to determine the best evidence for perioperative care
to ensure patient safety and excellent postoperative recovery. Minimizing length of stay has
obvious cost savings for hospitals, but for patients the advantages include minimizing
exposure to hospital-acquired infections and an earlier return to their more familiar home
environment. The need to balance the advantage of early discharge to patient complications,
however, must be addressed. As other hospitals across the country face the same length of
stay constraints as has been our experience, this study will provide important data on the
quality of recovery of patients undergoing early discharge following breast reconstructive
surgery.