Table 1.

Physical illness among women after surgery for breast cancer. Values are numbers (percentages) of patients unless stated otherwise

	Early discharge (n=49)	Standard discharge (n=51)	Ratio or odds ratio (95% CI)*	P value†
Geometric mean time to removal of drain (range) (days)	5.5 (3-11)	5.3 (2-12)	1.02 (0.89 to 1.18)	0.74
Geometric mean No of aspirations required (range)‡	1.9 (1-9)	2.2 (1-4)	0.86 (0.58 to 1.28)	0.46
Readmission	1 (2)	3 (6)	0.33 (0.03 to 3.19)	0.34
Seroma formation	17 (36)	19 (40)	0.86 (0.38 to 1.95)	0.73
At 3 months:
Wound infection	12 (26)	16 (33)	0.69 (0.28 to 1.66)	0.40
Arm or hand swelling	3 (6)	7 (15)	0.39 (0.10 to 1.44)	0.16
Restricted shoulder movement	5 (11)	14 (30)	0.28 (0.08 to 0.95)	0.042
Wound pain	7 (15)	18 (39)	0.28 (0.10 to 0.79)	0.016

^*Ratio of early to standard discharge or with standard discharge as reference group, both adjusted for clustering on weeks. 

^†For differences between patients allocated to early discharge and those allocated to standard discharge. 

^‡For patients requiring aspiration (17 allocated to early discharge, 19 allocated to standard discharge).