Abstract
BackgroundSeroma formation is the most frequent postoperative complication after breast cancer surgery. We carried out a study to investigate the effect of various demographic, clinical and therapeutic variables on seroma formation.Patients and methodsA retrospective cross sectional study of patients who underwent surgical therapy for breast cancer with either modified radical mastectomy (MRM) or breast preservation (BP) was carried out. The demographic data and clinical information were extracted from case records. Seroma formation was studied in relation to age, type of surgery, tumor size, nodal involvement, preoperative chemotherapy, surgical instrument (electrocautery or scalpel), use of pressure garment, and duration of drainage. The multiple logistic regression analysis was performed to estimate odds ratios.ResultsA total of 158 patients with breast cancer were studied. The mean age of the patients was 46.3 years (SD ± 11.9). Seventy-three percent underwent modified radical mastectomy and the remaining 27% received breast preservation surgery. Seroma occurred in 35% of patients. In multivariate logistic regression analysis an association of postoperative seroma formation was noted with modified radical mastectomy (OR = 2.83, 95% CI 1.01–7.90, P = 0.04). No other factor studied was found to significantly effect the seroma formation after breast cancer surgery.ConclusionThe findings suggest that the type of surgery is a predicting factor for seroma formation in breast cancer patients.
Highlights
Seroma formation is the most frequent postoperative complication after breast cancer surgery
The findings suggest that the type of surgery is a predicting factor for seroma formation in breast cancer patients
The surgical treatment of choice for these patients is either modified radical mastectomy or breast preservation depending upon stage of the disease
Summary
We carried out a study to investigate the effect of various demographic, clinical and therapeutic variables on seroma formation. Seroma formation is the most frequent postoperative complication after breast cancer surgery. It occurs in most patients after mastectomy and is increasingly being considered side effect of surgery rather than a complication all patients are not clinically symptomatic [1]. Incidence of seroma formation after breast surgery varies between 2.5% and 51% [3,4,5]. Seroma is not life threatening, it can lead to significant morbidity
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
