Investigating Post-Mastectomy Seroma Formation: A Comparative Analysis of Quilting Suturing and Conventional Wound Closure

Abstract

Objective: To compare the frequency of early post-mastectomy seroma formation between quilting-suturing and conventional wound closure in patients undergoing unilateral mastectomy.

Methodology: This randomized controlled trial was conducted at general surgery department, LUMHS from November 2024 to October 2025, on sixty patients aged 35–60 years undergoing unilateral mastectomy equally divided in quilting suturing and conventional closure groups. Patients were assessed for post mastectomy incidence of seroma formation within 7 days postoperatively. All the data was entered and analyzed in SPSS version 25, applying chi-square test to compare the seroma formation across the groups, taking p-value <0.05 as statistically significant.

Results: This study included 60 patients, with mean age of patients in Group A was 51.43 ± 5.7 years compared to 55.0 ± 5.32 years in Group B. Seroma formation was significantly higher in conventional wound closure group around (36.7%) compared quilting suturing group around (13.3%), (p=0.001). Additionally, the postoperative complications were statistically insignificant across the groups, whereas mean hospital stay was significantly shorter in Quilting suturing group around in contrast to conventional group, (p=0.001). Moreover, the frequency of seroma formation was statistically insignificant according to age of the patients, SES, comorbidities and residential status (p >0.05).

Conclusion: Quilting suture technique observed to be the superior modified radical mastectomy compared to the conventional wound closure modified radical mastectomy, with significantly lower rates of seroma formation, short Hospital stay and postoperative complications.