European Journal of Molecular & Clinical Medicine

Abstract

Background: Breast cancer is the most common female cancer and the second leading cause of cancer death among women. Seroma is a pocket of clear serous fluid that develops in the body after surgery. Seroma is thought to be caused by the fact that the mastectomy operation leaves a lot of an empty space which can ooze serous fluid causing it to gather up in the space beneath the wound. This study aimed to evaluate the mechanical closure effect of the dead space by suture fixation of the mastectomy flaps to the underlying chest wall on the seroma formation after mastectomy.
Patients and methods: A clinical trial study involved 54 patients with breast carcinoma admitted for modified radical mastectomy at the on cosurgery unit, general surgery department, faculty of medicine, Zagazig University Hospitals. Patients were divided equally into: (a) study group and (b) control group. The  postoperative results have been compared between the two groups and the effect of flap fixation on the amount and duration of fluid drainage and formation of seroma was concluded.
Results: The present study showed a statistically non-significant difference between the studied groups regarding age. There is statistically non-significant difference between the studied groups regarding side of lesion or presence of skin changes. There is statistically non-significant difference between the studied groups regarding pathological type. IDC was the commonest type in each group. There is significant difference between the studied groups regarding days till drain removal which was significantly higher in classic technique group. Regarding postoperative complications, there was 85.2% of flap fixation group had no postoperative complications compared to 59.3% of the classic group.
Conclusion: The flap fixation technique is proving its validity in decreasing the incidence of seroma formation and its subsequent complications, so that it can be introduced as a step in the mastectomy operation.