Effectiveness of TachoSil as Sealant in Lymphatic Leakage of Breast Cancer With Axillary Dissection

Int J Breast Cancer. 2024 Dec 31:2024:3765406. doi: 10.1155/ijbc/3765406. eCollection 2024.

Abstract

Objectives: This study is aimed at evaluating the effectiveness of TachoSil in controlling lymphatic leakage in breast cancer patients undergoing axillary dissection. By examining its ability to reduce postsurgical lymphatic drainage, the study will assess its impact on complications like seroma formation, recovery time, and overall patient outcomes, including quality of life and reduced healthcare costs. Methods: Breast cancer patients treated in the Department of Surgical Oncology at King Abdulaziz Medical City were enrolled to receive either TachoSil or undergo drain placement after axillary dissection. Repeated measures multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) was used to observe the difference in lymphatic drainage volume over time considering other covariates, such as age, sex, family history, neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC), and stage. Results: The TachoSil group showed significantly lower lymphatic drainage volumes at 24 h (106.5 ± 11.3) than the control group (141.7 ± 13.0) (p < 0.001). There were no significant differences in lymphatic drainage volume at 3 days (p = 0.176) and 7 days (p = 0.091). However, at 10 days, the TachoSil group exhibited significantly lower lymphatic drainage volume (19.9 ± 6.1) than the control group (44.5 ± 9.2) (p < 0.001). Repeated measures MANOVA showed a statistically significant difference in lymphatic drainage over time, with a moderate effect (p < 0.001). Conclusion: The findings suggest that TachoSil sealant effectively reduces early postoperative lymphatic drainage volume and maintains lower drainage rates up to 10 days following axillary dissection in breast cancer patients. The use of TachoSil sealant may have potential benefits in reducing the incidence of complications associated with lymphatic drainage and improving patient outcomes.

Keywords: axillary dissection; breast cancer; fibrin sealant; hemostatic agent; lymphocele.