Developing a Drain for Drainage of Seroma: Evaluation of Its Efficacy with External Drainage

Introduction:  Seroma formation continues to be a problem for patients undergoing surgery of the breast or axilla for invasive breast cancer. In general, seroma usually disappears within several weeks; however, some patients are troubled by chronic seroma. Several techniques have been utilized to minimize seroma formation, with no consistent success. Considering the high prevalence of seroma in breast cancer surgery and the need for frequent visits of the patients, a preliminary study was conducted to determine the feasibility of developing an internal drain for seroma evacuation and test its performance. Methods: A special drain was designed at the Department of Biomaterial Research, Breast Cancer Research Institute of Jihad. The performance of the drain in terms of seroma drainage efficacy was tested by passing normal blood through the drain. The efficacy of the drain in terms of cancer cell filtration was then tested by passing a cell suspension containing breast cancer cells through the drain. To confirm the drain efficacy, seromas were taken from five patients and passed through the drain. In the last step, the efficacy of the drain was tested in an external manner on 10 mastectomized cancer patients. Results: In all stages, the seroma output fluid was evaluated in terms of the presence of cancer cells by cytology, and the existing problems were resolved. Finally, a drain was developed with proper efficacy in seroma passage and 100% filtration of cancer cells. Conclusion: The high efficacy of the designed drain in seroma passage and filtration indicates its appropriateness to be used in the patients’ body. The microfilter placed in the drain is made by the latest technological methods. In the next phase of the study, the internal application of the drain will be tested by implanting it in the surgical site of the patients.