Benign breast surgery: is there a need for outpatient follow-up?

The majority of patients referred to a breast clinic will have benign disease (BBD) and, after appropriate assessment, most can be reassured and discharged. However, some patients will require excision biopsy to confirm the diagnosis. We have performed a prospective study to determine whether routine outpatient follow-up of these patients can be safely omitted. A series of 100 consecutive patients undergoing breast biopsy for disease, assessed as benign in outpatients, were studied. Before discharge each was given an information sheet outlining their postoperative recovery and advised to see their general practitioner (GP) between the 7th and 10th postoperative day for wound check, suture removal and histology. Of the 100 women in the study group, 94 had benign histology. At the postoperative visit to the GP a full discharge summary including histology was available for 88 patients. In six patients there was a delay in discharge summary generation. Malignant or premalignant disease was found in six patients. All were safely identified and recalled for counselling and further treatment as appropriate. We believe that the routine follow-up of patients undergoing benign breast surgery can safely be avoided if there is a satisfactory protocol which is understood by both the patients and GPs.