FIBRIN ADHESIVE IN RADICAL-MASTECTOMY

Objective: To find out if fibrin adhesive glue applied locally would r educe the incidence of seroma after modified radical mastectomy for br east cancer. Design: Prospective randomised study. Setting: City hospi tal, Sweden. Subjects: 68 women undergoing modified radical mastectomy with axillary clearance for breast cancer. Main outcome measures: Amo unt of postoperative drainage, number of seromas aspirated volumes; le ngth of hospital stay, influence of surgeon operating. Results: Seroma s developed in a total of 40/68 patients (59%), 23/36 in the fibrin ad hesive group (64%) and 17/32 in the control group (53%); p = 0.5 (95% confidence interval of the difference-0.13 to 0.34). There were no sig nificant differences in the volume of aspirations or in hospital stay. The skill of the surgeon influenced the incidence of seromas, but the differences were not significant (p = 0.5). Conclusion: Local applica tion of a fibrin adhesive glue has no effect on the incidence of serom a formation after modified radical mastectomy.