title: Reduction mammaplasty as an outpatient procedure: a retrospective analysis of outcome and success rate.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Reduction mammaplasty is an increasingly common plastic surgical procedure. In the United States, majority of breast reductions are performed as outpatient surgery. In European public health care, outpatient breast reductions have still been rare. Our aim was to retrospectively determine clinical outcome and the success rate of outpatient reduction mammaplasty.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 110 consecutive patients underwent bilateral reduction mammaplasty with a minimum resection of 200 g per breast in an outpatient unit between 2006 and 2009. A comparison group consisted of 28 inpatients. Demographic data and pre-, intra-, and postoperative events as well as complications were recorded.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 83 outpatients (75%) were successfully discharged on the day of operation. Reasons for unexpected overnight admission were lack of adult company for the first postoperative night (13 patients, 12%), surgeon's wish (4 patients, 4%), hematoma requiring evacuation (5 patients, 5%), nausea (3 patients, 3%), and pain (2 patients, 2%). Minor complications, especially delayed healing, were common (45 patients, 41%), but major complications were rare (18 patients, 16%). Complication rate was not increased in the outpatient group. Increased duration of operation correlated with increasing complications.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Reduction mammaplasty can be successfully and safely performed as an outpatient procedure in European public health care.
authors.affiliation: Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Helsinki University Hospital Jorvi, Espoo, Finland Division of Digestive Surgery and Urology, Turku University Hospital, Turku, Finland anu.carpelan@fimnet.fi.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Carpelan
authors.affiliation: Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Helsinki University Hospital Jorvi, Espoo, Finland.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kauhanen
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine, Helsinki University Hospital Jorvi, Espoo, Finland.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Mattila
authors.affiliation: Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Helsinki University Hospital Jorvi, Espoo, Finland.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Jahkola
authors.affiliation: Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Helsinki University Hospital Töölö, Helsinki, Finland.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Tukiainen
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000556:Ambulatory Surgical Procedures / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D005387:Finland / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D016462:Mammaplasty / Q000379:methods*; D008875:Middle Aged; D010045:Outpatients; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Reduction mammaplasty; complication rate; outpatient surgery; unplanned admissions