At the Institute Rotary Cancer Hospital, AIIMS, New Delhi, 246 patients of breast cancer were operated on from June 1993 to June 1996; 82 suitable patients were discharged within 48 h (short stay surgery, SSS) after surgery and 164 were discharged after 48 h (conventional stay surgery, CSS). After discharge, patients of both groups were followed in the outpatient clinic until the removal of sutures and drains. There was no mortality or readmission for a complication in either group. Mean post-operative hospital stay was 1.5 days in the SSS group, and 3.3 days in the CSS group. There was no statistically significant difference in the incidence of post-operative complications like wound infection (4.8% vs 4.2%), flap necrosis (6% vs 5.4%), seroma (14% vs 19%), and the average number of hospital visits (3.42 vs 3.2) in SSS and CSS groups, respectively. Patient acceptance of early discharge was good except in the day care group. The study supports the safety and feasibility of short stay surgery for breast cancer in certain circumstances for properly selected patients.