Drive Thru Mastectomy

[Feralpeg]

When I had my mastectomy 23 years ago, I was lucky enough to be allowed to stay in the hospital for five days. By the time I went home, the drain had been removed and I was able to navigate pretty well.

Last December, I had to have the implants I'd had put in place after my mastectomy removed. They had ruptured. It was an out-patient procedure. I was sent home about fifteen minutes after I woke from the anesthesia. I had two drains that I had to empty and chart several times a day. It was very uncomfortable. I had the drains for two weeks.

The point being that now, most insurance companies will not cover the cost of a hospital stay for a mastectomy or implant removal. While I am not one to want to boost the cost of medical procedures, I do feel very strongly that a woman should be allowed to remain in the hospital for a couple of days following these types of procedures.

Following a mastectomy, you have a large wound across your chest. You have a tube that runs under the wound connected to a siphon type device that hangs down your side. Every time you move, the drain pulls on the incision causing pain. You can't lie on your side or stomach without pain. I found getting in and out of bed very uncomfortable following my last procedure. I ended up sleeping sitting up in a chair.

A mastectomy is not only physically hard on a woman, it is mentally devastating. Shouldn't a woman be allowed a little time to get over the physical, surgical trauma prior to being sent home to face the fact that her life will never be quite the same?

Lifetime Television has created a petition on their website that they will present to congress. The petition asks that insurance companies cover a two day post mastectomy hospital stay. I signed it. I hope you will as well.

Thank you,
Peggy

http://www.lifetimetv.com/breastcancer/petition/signpetition.php

 

[ducklite]

Former Governor Christine Whitman got this legislation pushed through in NJ parobably almost ten years ago now. It was one of several wonderful legacies she left women in the state of NJ.

Anne

 

[LukenDC]

When my Mom had her mastectomy, she was released from the hospital the next morning and immediately came home and started doing laundry. We begged her to rest, but she said that cleaning house made her feel better.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

I've signed the petition before. A mastectomy is major surgery and women having them should be able to be cared for in the hospital for at least a couple of days. Many cannot even move their arms enough to change their gown - pain needs to be managed better before discharge, not to mention the drains, dressings, etc. And yes, it is devastating to have to have a breast removed due to cancer. Thanks for helping the cause and PS hope you're doing well!

 

[DawnCt1]

The Ct. Law prohibiting early discharges has been in effect more than 10 years.

 

[RayaniFoxmur]

I signed and forwarded the petition to my family members. My grandmother is a breast cancer survivor, and while she didn't have to have a mastectomy if she would have there would have been no way she would have recovered easily at home. It just makes me sad that some women are being sent home the next day

 

[poohandwendy]

Thanks for the link Peggy, I signed it and passed it along to my family members.

 

[froglady]

When my Mom had her mastectomy, she was released from the hospital the next morning and immediately came home and started doing laundry. We begged her to rest, but she said that cleaning house made her feel better.

It's wonderful that your mother was able to do that. BUT, since SOME people, like your mother, were able to do it, insurance companies decided that ALL women should be able to do it, too.

Instead of looking at how long it takes the average patient to recover, they opted to use the exception as the baseline, as that was the most cost efficient. This is not limited to mastectomies; the same drive through service is expected for ALL surgeries these days.

The majority of people do recover better, and with less chance of infection, etc, after the initial post-op period but some really do need more time; it's difficult if not impossible to get an insurance company to look at things on a case by case basis. It's much easier(and cheaper) to have a SOP and stick to it.

 

[tink_n_pooh]

I think everyone should be given more of a personal choice as to how long they are cared for in the hospital. Having never had a masectomy (and I pray I will never need one) I have no idea of the actual heeling time in myself, however I would hope that if I needed inpatient care I would receive it.

On the other hand, I work in two hospitals and I recently had to have surgery (much more minor in comparision) and I got out of that hospital as quickly as I could. Unfortunately most post op infections are contracted in the hospital, those places are bredding grounds for germs.

 

[LukenDC]

It's wonderful that your mother was able to do that. BUT, since SOME people, like your mother, were able to do it, insurance companies decided that ALL women should be able to do it, too.

Instead of looking at how long it takes the average patient to recover, they opted to use the exception as the baseline, as that was the most cost efficient. This is not limited to mastectomies; the same drive through service is expected for ALL surgeries these days.

The majority of people do recover better, and with less chance of infection, etc, after the initial post-op period but some really do need more time; it's difficult if not impossible to get an insurance company to look at things on a case by case basis. It's much easier(and cheaper) to have a SOP and stick to it.

I agree with you. I do worry about women who are rushed out of the hospital after a mastectomy and was shocked that my mother spent less than 24 hours in the hospital.

 

[linda0706]

I heard Jeff Foxworthy comment on this subject in a comedy routine a few years ago regarding how quickly the hospitals boot you out after childbirth.

He said it takes longer these days to make a good pot of chili than it does to have a baby.


(Thanks for the info, I signed the petition.)

 

[DebbieB]

My mom had a mastectomy at age 61 in 1996. It was a 24 hour stay. The doctor said she could stay another night if she wished, she said no she wanted to go home. I had to help with the drain for a week until she went back to the doctor.