Background: Seroma formation is a common postoperative complication following many surgical procedures, including abdominoplasty. Several approaches have been investigated to prevent seroma formation by draining fluid or attempting to eliminate dead space, but these approaches have limited effectiveness.
Methods: A canine model of abdominoplasty was developed that reliably produced seroma formation. Bilateral subcutaneous pockets were created in the ventrolateral abdominal wall and additional tissue damage was inflicted using electrocautery. On one side, the tissue layers were treated with a lysine-derived urethane adhesive before closure, whereas the control side received no treatment before standard closure of the incision.
Results: Seroma formation (60 +/- 45 ml) was observed on the control side, whereas the treated side had adherence between the tissue layers and minimal if any fluid accumulation (1.7 +/- 1.4 ml) (p < 0.01) (n = 7). The adhesive invoked little or no cellular response, based on histologic examination of the tissue.
Conclusion: The urethane surgical adhesive was effective in preventing the formation of seroma in this canine abdominoplasty model.