Volume and duration of wound drainage after radical modified mastectomy: A retrospective study

To investigate factors influencing duration and volume of drainage after modified, radical mastectomy for breast cancer. A retrospective review of 91 women who underwent modified radical mastectomy for breast cancer in a university teaching hospital setting. Multiple linear regression analysis was used to determine the significant independent predictors of drainage duration and total drainage volume with a final linear regression model. Multiple regression analysis revealed that significant independent contribution in the prediction of duration of wound drainage was provided essentially by woman's weight and breast volume. Total length of wound drainage (in days) (TLD) was estimated as TLD=4.238+0.0522 weight -0.000324 breast volume, and total volume of wound drainage (TVD) by woman's weight and fluid volume at day 1 post operative as TVD=55.63+4.64 weight +1.35 fluid volume at day 1. In our study duration and amount of drainage after radical mastectomy, can be estimated essentially from the patient's weight, additional other characteristics do not seem relevant. © Masson, 2005.