Clinical outcomes of percutaneous drainage of breast fluid collections after mastectomy with expander-based breast reconstruction

Safety and Efficacy of Percutaneous Drain Placement for Postsurgical Breast Region Fluid Collections

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this study was to describe the safety and efficacy of percutaneous drain placement for postoperative fluid collections in the breast.

METHODS

A retrospective review was conducted of the patient characteristics, intervention data, and clinical outcomes of the 43 adult patients who underwent percutaneous drain placement for fluid collections at a tertiary care hospital over a 13-year period ending February 28, 2023.

RESULTS

Most fluid collections treated with percutaneous drain placement were secondary to ipsilateral breast surgery (92%, 44/48), most commonly breast reduction (23%, 10/44) and mastectomy with immediate tissue expander reconstruction (16%, 7/44). Additional patients had fluid collections without prior ipsilateral breast surgery (8%, 4/48) and were excluded from further analysis. The fluid cultures from 39% of the cultured postsurgical fluid collections were positive (16/41), and Staphylococcus aureus was the most commonly cultured organism (15%, 6/41). The only immediate complication was the rupture of a tissue expander during drain placement in 1 patient. The median duration of percutaneous drainage for postsurgical fluid collections was 12 days (range: 1 to 49 days). Percutaneous drain placement achieved clinical success without any subsequent treatments in 73% (32/44) of patients. An additional 7% (3/44) of patients required subsequent image-guided aspiration procedures and/or percutaneous drain placements but avoided surgical treatment for a persistent fluid collection.

CONCLUSION

Postsurgical fluid collections after diverse breast surgeries represented the vast majority of the fluid collections referred to our academic practice for percutaneous drain placement. Percutaneous drain placement was a safe and effective treatment in this patient population.

Perioperative Risk Factors for Prolonged Blood Loss and Drainage Fluid Secretion after Breast Reconstruction

Background: Surgical breast reconstruction is an integral part of cancer treatment but must not compromise oncological safety. Patient-dependent risk factors (smoking, BMI, etc.) are said to influence perioperative outcomes and have often been investigated. Here, we analyzed independent perioperative risk factors for increased postoperative blood loss or drainage fluid volume loss and their possible impact. Methods: Patients undergoing breast reconstructions after breast cancer with either tissue expanders, definitive breast implants, or autologous breast reconstruction were analyzed. The collected data on patients’ characteristics, blood, and drainage fluid loss were correlated and statistically investigated. Results: Traditional patient-dependent risk factors did not influence blood loss or drainage volumes. On the contrary, patients with preoperative anemia had significantly higher drainage outputs compared to non-anemic patients (U = 2448.5; p = 0.0012). The administration of low molecular weight heparin showed a tendency of increased drainage output. Similar correlations could be seen in prolonged procedure time, all of which contributed to prolonged hospital stay (τb = 0.371; p < 0.00001). Conclusion: Preoperative anemia is one of the most critical factors influencing postoperative drainage fluid output. Previously assumed patient-dependent risk factors did not affect drainage output. Preoperative anemia must be monitored, and if possible, treated preoperatively to reduce postoperative morbidity.

Simple-safe-sure Fluid Drainage Just above Breast Tissue Expander using 18-Gauge Blunt Cannula

The presence of seroma after breast tissue expander (TE) insertion for a long duration can cause infection and purulency; thus, obvious fluid collection around TEs should be drained as early as possible. However, due to the risk of puncture, it may not be possible to completely drain the fluid if it is located above the TE. To manage such cases, we used an 18-gauge blunt cannula and achieved good results. Among 98 cases in which breast reconstruction was performed with a TE, 5 patients had symptoms of infection with fluid collection just above the TE. In all 5 cases, resolution of the infection was observed in an outpatient setting without the removal or puncture of the inserted TE, by performing a drainage technique using an 18-gauge blunt cannula. An 18-gauge blunt cannula minimized the risk of expander rupture during drainage and enabled the complete aspiration of fluid, even when it was located just above the TE; thus, the resolution of infection with the preservation of the expander was possible in cases that would otherwise have been impossible to treat without the removal of the TE. This drainage procedure using an 18-gauge blunt cannula is considered to be simple, safe, and sure, with benefits that exceed the risk; thus, there should be no reason to hesitate in performing this drainage procedure, even in cases involving slight fluid collection around the TE.