WOUND HEALING FOLLOWING MASTECTOMY

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
Local complications following mastectomy are of considerable importance if peri-operative chemotherapy is to be used. A retrospective survey of 100 patients following Patey mastectomy was therefore undertaken to investigate problems associated with wound healing in the absence of such therapy. The survey showed that 18% of patients developed postoperative wound infection, this being severe in 50% of cases. Varying degrees of total wound breakdown occurred in 9% of patients while delayed healing occurred in a further 5%. The incidence of seroma was 25%, and the majority of these patients required further drainage. There was a significant association between seroma formation and wound infection (P < 0.05). The mean length of hospital stay in patients without wound infection was 11.7 days, but was increased to 27.3 days when infection occurred (P < 0.001).

This publication has 1 reference indexed in Scilit: