title: ﻿﻿﻿﻿﻿﻿﻿﻿ ﻿characteristics and treatment of surgical site complications in patients undergoing mastectomy at a cancer hospital in Mexico ﻿.
abstract: ﻿﻿﻿﻿﻿﻿﻿Objective. To present a 4-year experience of surveillance and management of surgical wound complications in a cohort of patients who underwent breast cancer surgery at a cancer hospital.
  
  
  METHODS
  A descriptive follow-up study was undertaken at a teaching, referral cancer hospital in Mexico City (National Cancer Institute). Patients (n = 1774) underwent 1888 breast cancer surgeries. The main outcome measures were wound complications (surgical site infections [SSI], flap necrosis, and dehiscence).
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were 873 (46.2%) wound complications recorded. The most frequent complications were SSI (n = 387, 20.5%), flap necrosis (n = 274, 14.5%), and dehiscence (n = 212, 11.2%). Most patients with infections were treated with oral antibiotics and local wound management (n = 353, 91.9%) with positive results. Flap necrosis and dehiscence were treated under the wound bed preparation model with debridement plus combined (concomitant or sequential) dressings and ointments that favored wound healing, achieving closure at the last appointment in 189 (48.4%) patients. Average time to closure for necrotized and dehisced wounds was 52.4 ± 45.7 and 45.2 ± 36.1 days, respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  An average delay of 10 days on the initiation of adjuvant treatment was observed in patients with a wound complication (SSI, flap necrosis, or dehiscence) compared to patients without wound complications (P = 0.002). The frequency of wound complications was high. Active surveillance allowed the authors to diagnose wound complications early in their development. Local wound management under the wound preparation model and use of antibiotics when an infection is suspected were successful therapies in most patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Infectious Diseases, National Cancer Institute, Tlalpan, Mexico; Email: diana_vilar@yahoo.com.mx﻿
authors.forename: Diana
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Vilar-Compte
authors.forename: Armando
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Castillejos
authors.forename: Norma
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Hernandez-Mello
authors.affiliation: ﻿
authors.forename: Carlos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Robles-Vidal
authors.forename: Patricia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Volkow