Definitive breast cancer surgery as an outpatient: a rational basis for the transition.

The transition of definitive breast cancer surgery to an outpatient setting cannot be done without some major philosophical and technical changes on the part of the surgeon. This paper outlines the changes in the author's practice made over two decades demonstrating that this transition has had no effect on outcome. Definitive surgical care for breast cancer can occur in a cost-effective fashion totally on an outpatient basis.