REDUCING SEROMA FORMATION WITH FIBRIN GLUE IN AN ANIMAL MASTECTOMY MODEL

Mastectomy is a frequently performed surgical procedure which has some important complications that may prolong hospital stay. Seroma format ion after mastectomies and axillary dissection has an incidence of 5.8 -53%. A new technique for preventing seroma formation was studied in a n animal mastectomy model, Radical mastectomy was performed in guinea pigs, A control group of 20 animals had no further procedure postmaste ctomy other than drying the wound with sterile gauze, In the other gro up fibrin glue was topically applied to prevent seroma formation to th e operative field, Ten days after the operation, necropsy was performe d and fluid collections were drained with an 18-gauge needle, The resu lts were statistically analysed with a Two-sample rank-sum test, A sig nificant difference existed between Groups I and II (P < 0.00005). It is concluded that fibrin glue can be used to prevent seroma formation after mastectomies.