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Early drain removal following modified radical mastectomy: A randomized trial
Author(s) -
Parikh Hemen K.,
Badwe Rajendra A.,
Ash Cathy M.,
Hamed Hisham,
Freitas Ruffo,
Chaudary Murid A.,
Fentiman Ian S.
Publication year - 1992
Publication title -
journal of surgical oncology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.201
H-Index - 111
eISSN - 1096-9098
pISSN - 0022-4790
DOI - 10.1002/jso.2930510413
Subject(s) - medicine , randomized controlled trial , mastectomy , breast cancer , surgery , modified radical mastectomy , dilemma , physical therapy , cancer , philosophy , epistemology
Abstract The dilemma of increasing costs of medical care and shrinking health budgets has stimulated attempts to implement stricter control on expenditure without affecting the quality of care. This study shows that in patients with operable breast cancer, a policy of early discharge after a mastectomy did not have deleterious effects on wound healing and was well accepted by patients. In a randomized trial, drains were removed after either 3 or 6 days postmastectomy, and in both groups of patients there was no difference between the mean volumes of seromas aspirated or the number of aspirations and return visits to the hospital. This suggests that a policy of early discharge is safe, acceptable, economical, and may improve bed utilization. © 1992 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.