title: Improved Recovery Experience Achieved for Women Undergoing Implant-Based Breast Reconstruction Using an Enhanced Recovery after Surgery Model.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Enhanced recovery after surgery was compared with traditional recovery after surgery for postmastectomy alloplastic breast reconstruction.
  
  
  METHODS
  Length of stay, emergency room visits, and complications within 30 days of surgery were compared among three groups: traditional recovery after surgery, transition (some elements of enhanced recovery protocol, not transitioned to outpatient care), and enhanced recovery after surgery (day surgery, provided with standardized perioperative education and multimodal analgesia). Prospective data collection allowed quality-of-recovery assessment using a validated questionnaire for enhanced recovery/transition groups. Results were statistically analyzed (analysis of variance/chi-square).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The traditional recovery, transition, and enhanced recovery cohorts comprised 29, 11, and 29 patients, respectively. No significant differences were present regarding age, smoking status, preoperative radiation, single stage direct-to-implant versus tissue expander, bilateral versus unilateral surgery, or immediate versus delayed reconstruction among groups. Average length of stay was 1.6 nights in both the traditional recovery and transition groups, compared with 0 nights in the enhanced recovery group (p < 0.001). Enhanced recovery patients had less severe pain (p = 0.02) and nausea (p = 0.01), and better enjoyed their food (p = 0.0002) and felt more rested (p = 0.02) than their transition counterparts. There were no differences in the number of emergency room visits among the three groups (p = 0.88). There was no difference in the rate of hematoma (p = 0.36), infection requiring intravenous antibiotics (p = 0.36), or infection requiring explantation (p = 0.36) among the three groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  An enhanced recovery protocol for alloplastic breast reconstruction treated patients safely, with improved patient satisfaction and same-day discharge and with no increase in complications.
  
  
  METHODS
  Therapeutic, III.
authors.affiliation: Calgary, Alberta, Canada.|From the Department of Surgery, Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, and the Tom Baker Cancer Centre, University of Calgary.
authors.forename: Danielle O
authors.initials: DO
authors.lastname: Dumestre
authors.affiliation: Calgary, Alberta, Canada.|From the Department of Surgery, Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, and the Tom Baker Cancer Centre, University of Calgary.
authors.forename: Carmen E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Webb
authors.affiliation: Calgary, Alberta, Canada.|From the Department of Surgery, Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, and the Tom Baker Cancer Centre, University of Calgary.
authors.forename: Claire
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Temple-Oberle
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D018427:Breast Implants; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016462:Mammaplasty; D008875:Middle Aged; D008953:Models, Anatomic; D011446:Prospective Studies; D020127:Recovery of Function