Telephone pre-anaesthesia assessment for ambulatory breast surgery.

OBJECTIVE: To review the efficacy of telephone preoperative anaesthesia assessment in patients undergoing ambulatory breast surgery.

DESIGN: Retrospective study.

SETTING: Day Surgery Centre, Tung Wah Hospital, Hong Kong.

PATIENTS: Patients with breast lumps to be excised were seen by dedicated breast surgeons and informed of day procedures and preoperative anaesthesia assessment. Those who fulfilled the selection criteria of age (18-45 years) and American Society of Anesthesiologists grade I were recruited for telephone anaesthesia assessment preoperatively. The patients were contacted by senior day surgery nurses via telephone before the scheduled operation date, and information was retrieved using a standard assessment form. Prospective data from January 2002 to December 2007 were analysed.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Proportion of patients who successfully underwent day surgery after telephone preoperative anaesthesia assessment.

RESULTS: Of 482 patients receiving ambulatory surgery for breast lumps during the study period, 283 patients were selected for preoperative telephone anaesthesia assessment. Five (2%) patients with problems identified by this method underwent further assessment at the Day Surgery Centre; the remaining 278 (98%) required no further assessment and proceeded to have a successful day surgery procedure.

CONCLUSION: Preoperative anaesthesia assessment by telephone is an effective means of preoperative assessment in selected patients undergoing ambulatory breast surgery.