Postmastectomy rehabilitation in a community hospital.

The need for, operation, and outcomes of an in-hospital postmastectomy rehabilitation program are described as operating at a general community hospital, the Mt. Sinai Hospital of Cleveland. Patient outcomes in terms of range of motion (94 and 98 percent normal 90 days after discharge, right and left arm respectively); resumption of normal activities and return to work (94 percent had resumed normal activities within 90 days and 85 percent had returned to work); and emotional stress (fewer than one in ten reported moderate to severe emotional stress) are demonstrated to be indicative of good rehabilitation. These results are comparable to those reported achieved in a specialized oncology setting. This type of program can be successfully conducted in a community hospital with the limited use of regular hospital personnel, although problems related to physician resistance and assuring the regular availability of appropriate staff members for even a short time each day must be overcome.