Comparison between the Effect of Tetracycline and Fibrin Glue Application in Prevention of Post Mastectomy Seroma, KAMAL MAMDOUH, AHMED GAMAL and MOHAMED ABOUL NAGA
Abstract
Background: There is an extremely high incidence of seroma formation after breast cancer surgery and axillary node dissections. Although not life threatening, seromas do account for significant patient expense and morbidity including frequent aspiration, pain, wound dehiscence, infection, pro-longed hospitalizations, decreased limb mobility and delayed wound healing. Seroma formation can delay supplementary radiotherapy and chemotherapy treatments.
Objective: To compare the effect of Tetracycline and Fibrin Glue application in prevention of post mastectomy seroma.
Design: Prospective study.
Patients and Methods: From March 2015 to March 2016, the prospective randomized study of 45 female patients with breast cancer (T2N1M0) or stage II who underwent modified radical mastectomy divided into 3 groups, the first group included 15 patients; they were subjected to Tetracycline (TCN) application over the surgical bed intraoperative. The second group included 15 patients for whom 2ml surgical fibrin glue was applied intraoperative over the surgical bed. The third group included 15 patients as control group (tradi-tional modified radical mastectomy). We compared time of drain removal, total drain amount and recurrence of seroma through regular outpatient visits every 48 hours till drain removal then weekly for a month. Ultrasound was done if seroma was detected clinically for aspiration and measurement of the exact amount of aspirated fluid.
Results: Tetracycline group patients gave the best results as regard time of drain removal and total drain amount than fibrin group and control group patients besides only 33.33% of tetracycline group patients showed recurrence of seroma but it was 53.33% and 60% in fibrin group and control group respectively.
Conclusions: The data of this study showed that statisti-cally Tetracycline (TCN) is more effective than surgical fibrin glue in prevention of post mastectomy seroma, beside that surgical glue was cost effective.