Abstract

The purpose of this study is investigation of the wound complication rates after öpen surgical breast biopsies, description of the factors related to complications and the effects of these complications on breast cancer surgery. Two hundred nineteen women with öpen surgical breast biopsies in 2008 have been evaluated prospectively. Age, breast cancer, hipertention and dia-betes mellitus history, guide-wire localisation before surgery, the size of the lesion that has been operated, previous percuta-neous or öpen biopsies to the same breast, biopsy type and presence of drains were the parameters recorded. V/ound complications after biopsies have been recorded during 30 days follow-up. Wound complications have been observed in 36 (16.4%) patients operated with öpen surgical breast biopsy. These complications were surgical site infections in 20 (9.1%) patients, hemotomas in 12 (5.5%) patients, bleeding in 9 (4.1%) patients and seroma in 18 (8.2%) patients. At univariate anaiysis; patient age över 65, previous surgery or biopsy to the same breast, diabetes mellitus, incisional biopsy, diagnosis of malignancy, lesion size greater than 2 cm and specimen volüme more than 50 cm3 were the parameters increasing wound complications after öpen surgical breast biopsies. At muitivariate anaiysis; previous surgical intervention to the same breast (p= 0.033), specimen volüme more than 50 cm3 (p= 0.001), incisional biopsy (p= 0.003) ıvere the parameters affecting the complication rates. Malignancy was detected for 75 (34.2%) patients and ali these patients were reoperated. VVhile 22 patients with wound complications have been operated in 27 days after breast biopsy, 53 patients without wound complications have been operated in 18 days (p= 0.03). Twenty-four patients were seen with wound complications in 30 days follow-up after breast cancer surgey. These complications were surgical site infection in 12 (16%) patients, seroma in 10 (13.3%) patients and hematoma in 2 (2.6%) patients. At univariate anaiysis; previous interventions to the same breast, lesion size more than 2 cm and presence of complication after diagnos-tic breast biopsy were the parameters increasing wound complications. At muitivariate anaiysis; only the occurance of complication after breast biopsy was a significant factor (p= 0.001). It should kept in mind that wound complication rate is high after öpen surgical breast biopsy. Aseptic precautions should be taken and procedure should be done under sterile conditions. Maximum çare should be taken during procedure. Although antibiotic prophylaxis is not recommended before surgery, carefui wound çare, wound dressing and follow-up is important. One should pay attention to the signs of surgical site infections and as soon as these signs are observed the treatment should have been started. The detay of the surgical treatment can be preven-ted with close follow-up and early treatment. İt seems that the technical factors belonging to surgical procedure rather than patient and lesion related factors are important for wound complications. Therefore unnecessary tissue removal during excisional biopsies should be avoided.