Drive thru Mastectomy?

sea60

Did anyone have one of these with a side of fries?

I remember speaking to the nurse a day or 2 before my Mastectomy, asking her what I should pack for my overnight stay at the hospital. To my horror, she said that I wasn't staying overnight...WHA?!?!?!??! I mean...I was getting my boob taken OFF and I couldn't even stay one night?!?!?!? She said it wasn't considered major surgery...Wow. It's not like I wanted to lay around for days in a hospital bed but I wasn't planning on getting the boot the same day.

So, I was in at 6AM and home in time to watch Oprah by 4PM. Thank God, no complications.

Since then, I have learned that this is dubbed as a "Drive thru Mastectomy". Insurance reasons most likely play a factor in this along with understaffed hospitals but I just disagree with this.

Has anyone else experiened this? Especially reading so many posts from sisters getting ready to have one. Should people insist on an overnight stay?

Interested in hearing your responses...

Blessings,

Sylvia

lynn1950

I agree with you. That does
I agree with you. That does seem quick to me. I believe it should be an option to be able to go home the same-day - some people probably would prefer this. But, boy...to just assume that a person is ready to deal with all the post-operative stuff on her own the day of surgery seems like it is pushing it.

So glad there were no complications for you. How are you doing now? xoxoxox Lynn

sea60

lynn1950 said:

I agree with you. That does
I agree with you. That does seem quick to me. I believe it should be an option to be able to go home the same-day - some people probably would prefer this. But, boy...to just assume that a person is ready to deal with all the post-operative stuff on her own the day of surgery seems like it is pushing it.

So glad there were no complications for you. How are you doing now? xoxoxox Lynn

I'm doing very well, thank you Lynn
This was a few years back (surgery #2 out of #7) but I was curious if others have experienced a Mastectomy as an outpatient surgical procedure.

I think you're right. It should be given as an option and not as a standard. Hopefully, many sisters on this post are being given that option.

I am doing wonderful, I continue to dance with NED although it looks more like I'm hobbling on my part, but I'll just let him lead...HA!



I pray you're doing well...Love ya sister! Blessings,

Sylvia

chenheart

The only reason I had the
The only reason I had the overnight stay was because my surgery was late in the afternoon~ I was really just there in time for the fries to get done. As I didn't opt for reconstruction, I didn't even get to say "Supersize that, please!" Oh well.....

Hugs,
Chen♥

bakerette

Drive through
That's a good name for it. Fortunately my insurance had already guaranteed me onenight. I was glad of that. I was so out of it yesterday, there is no way I could have gone home and dealt with the drains and stuff, not to mention I had nausea and vomiting. I couldn't even keep jello down. But, today I'm soooo much better and was more than ready to make my exit. I agree, it should be an option. Some people can do it some can't. I couldn't.

Miss Murphy

Yikes!
Just ask any of us who have had a masectomy and I would guess we'd all agree it was major surgery! That said, I think I could have come home without an overnight but my surgery was in the middle of the day. I actually felt good afterwards with virtually no pain and had to beg the nurses for real food. I had a call in to my husband who had gone home to feed the dog to stop by MacDonalds and bring me real food when they brought me an actual dinner.
I do feel tho that you should be able to stay at least overnight and not have to leave just cause the insurance co. says so. Everyone is different as to how they react to surgery.

Hugs, Sally

kjrpcb

drive by mastectomy
I have learned that a lot depends on your insurance.I had a double mastectomy and my doctor said he would do whatever made me feel better. I ended up staying the night and I'm glad I did. I needed that sleep and felt much better the next day. The drains can be really uncomfortable. But this is technically outpatient surgery.Go figure. Prayers to you.

Miss Murphy

kjrpcb said:

drive by mastectomy
I have learned that a lot depends on your insurance.I had a double mastectomy and my doctor said he would do whatever made me feel better. I ended up staying the night and I'm glad I did. I needed that sleep and felt much better the next day. The drains can be really uncomfortable. But this is technically outpatient surgery.Go figure. Prayers to you.

Wow!
I'm impressed you were able to actually sleep in the hospital!!!! What with eveyone coming in to check blood pressure, temp, etc. it felt like Grand Central Station in my room -lol!
I couldn't believe they sent me home to deal with the drains all by myself!!!!!!I had no clue about drains before the surgery.

aysemari

Not major surgery?
Breast cancer treatment is very underrated. I wonder if it is
because mainly women are effected by it. Everyone knows
women have a higher threshold for pain.

I stayed for one night and it really helped me, I was too
drugged to go home anyway and it felt really assuring to
have the doctor take another look at me the next morning.

But unfortunately I really think cancer is on the rise, due to toxins in our
environment and food and will soon get more attention. Maybe then
things will change.

Ayse

sea60

kjrpcb said:

drive by mastectomy
I have learned that a lot depends on your insurance.I had a double mastectomy and my doctor said he would do whatever made me feel better. I ended up staying the night and I'm glad I did. I needed that sleep and felt much better the next day. The drains can be really uncomfortable. But this is technically outpatient surgery.Go figure. Prayers to you.

Sure glad most of you stayed overnight
Maybe because mine was so early in the morning...I still would have opted to stay overnight and cling on to the nurses at least for 24 hours. I just didn't feel mentally (or physically) prepared to leave the same day.

Mental note for those who wish to stay overnight, have it in the afternoon!

Chen - you cracked me up with the "supersize" comment.


You guys are amazingly awesome, as always.

MNLynn

overnight
I stayed overnight after my mastectomy - which I had early in the day (probably didn't get out of recovery until middle of the afternoon, though). My surgeon said that an overnight stay at the hospital would be "standard" after the mastectomy (no reconstruction, either) . . . he said that, if I really wanted to . . . I MAY be able to go home the same day as surgery. No thanks! I was glad I stayed - I couldn't even keep anything down until after midnight . . . so I was getting drugs for both nausea & pain that whole time. Plus, staying overnight meant that my dr stopped by the next morning to change the bandage and make sure everything looked good.

I don't even think my insurance considered me an "in-patient" - the hospital billed it as "out-patient" - I think maybe because the time from when I was admitted to my room and the time that I left the next day was less than 24 hrs.

jo jo

I didnt have a drivve thru
I didnt have a drivve thru mastectomy...i was in the hosptial for 3 days and they still didnt want me to go home but let me cuz i begged my doc cuz it was thanksgiving.
I also had my lumphnodes removed and expanders put in...so i dont know if that made a difference in how long the stay was.
But with my surgery a couple days ago to exchange my expanders to implants...that was a drive-thru! and damnit they didnt supersize me either!

Katz77

Drive through
My mastectomy was considered a 23 hr stay. So kind of considered a "same day surgery." It's insurance lingo. You stay over night but leave in that 24hr period. I work in surgery including with the surgeon that did my surgery, sooo, Of course I had complacations. lol We decided to place my port on the oppisite side of mast., so I didn't have to come back to have placement. Got a pneumothorax, ie, punctured lung. It didn't develope till 1am. Ended up with a chest tube and ICU for 24 more hrs and then to regular room for another 24 hrs. So 3+ day stay. He felt really bad of course. Told him not to worry cause thats what happens when you work on friends/employees.
That's one of the complications when you have port placement. I've heard the term "drive through" also. I think it's kind of and street word for " your not going to be here long."
I do find it a little disconcerning they really sent you home the very same day. Bleeding with such a large surgery is a very big issue. That's why they put drains in. You, I think were very lucky not to end back in the ER. Hope all is well now. Katz

Jean 0609

Spent one night in the hospital
When I had my mastectomy in May, I spent one night. My surgery was at 7:30 a.m. and I probably was discharged around 11 a.m. the next morning. Had a single mastectomy with 13 lymph nodes removed and an expander put in. Even though I didn't get much rest in the hospital, felt better to be there.

VickiSam

Jean 0609 said:

Spent one night in the hospital
When I had my mastectomy in May, I spent one night. My surgery was at 7:30 a.m. and I probably was discharged around 11 a.m. the next morning. Had a single mastectomy with 13 lymph nodes removed and an expander put in. Even though I didn't get much rest in the hospital, felt better to be there.

I didn't have a drive thru, but I know many women how spent
23 hours in the hospital -. Insurance coverage, health regulations its all tied together.

I agree with Jean 0609, I spent 4 days in the hospital double mac'my, lumph node testing and expander .. but I hated my time at the hospital .. no rest for the wicked they say.



Vicki Sam

Menda

VickiSam said:

I didn't have a drive thru, but I know many women how spent
23 hours in the hospital -. Insurance coverage, health regulations its all tied together.

I agree with Jean 0609, I spent 4 days in the hospital double mac'my, lumph node testing and expander .. but I hated my time at the hospital .. no rest for the wicked they say.



Vicki Sam

6 hours
I was the express drive thru. Surgery started about 11:00, recovery from 2:00 to 5:00, they had trouble controlling the pain. I refused to breath due to chest expansion. I was then moved into a room to have meds and drains explained for about 1 hour then home. I did get the plastic toy, got 2 drains. See it was all good.

faith_trust_and_a_little_bit_of_chemotherapy

Menda said:

6 hours
I was the express drive thru. Surgery started about 11:00, recovery from 2:00 to 5:00, they had trouble controlling the pain. I refused to breath due to chest expansion. I was then moved into a room to have meds and drains explained for about 1 hour then home. I did get the plastic toy, got 2 drains. See it was all good.

Keep the fries...
I stayed overnight for my mastectomy and lymph dissections, although my room mate and her stream of chatty guests made me wish I was home. I didn't rest well there and my 14 year old would have liked me at home too, it's not as though she got any sleep staying with the neighbors that night.

*flashback sequence in grainy black and white* 30 years ago...why when I was a girl with two girls...I had two prior overnight visits for lump removals (I don't recall the term lumpectomy being used then) but things were quite different too...mammograms were not done on special machines, my surgeon was our family general practitioner, and trust me, anesthesia has come along way too! I do recall too in the good old days, a nurse rousting me and telling me I needed to get up and start moving to begin the healing process. They still wheeled you out in a chair though. *end flashback sequence*

I was clueless about drains, no one mentioned them before surgery. Jackson Pratt 101 was held bedside the morning of my release...I learned quickly how to empty, measure, and document...all part and parcel of becoming the involved and informed patient.

EdnaM

2 DAYS
Most in my area are in at least overnight. I have unusual allergic reactions regarding meds so my surgeon put me in ICU for 2 nights - thank God she is a caring physican. She said it was the only way she was confortable with me as her patient and she took care of the insurance
issues. Even without the reaction possibility I can't imagine feeling up to going home
same day - you sisters are stronger than this one!
Edna

sea60

Menda
Were we in the same hospital??? HA!

I just have to laugh at the term "Drive thru Mastectomy". Had I known that term BEFORE the brief hospital trip, I would have INSISTED on fries AND a shake...chocolate of course!

Menda

sea60 said:

Menda
Were we in the same hospital??? HA!

I just have to laugh at the term "Drive thru Mastectomy". Had I known that term BEFORE the brief hospital trip, I would have INSISTED on fries AND a shake...chocolate of course!

Was yours done at a HUGH
Was yours done at a HUGH hospital in central Texas ?

wendybia

drive thru'
i know that the lifetime website has a petition to sign against drive thru mastectomy..i signed it a couple of months ago...it's just not right