Impact of Quilting Sutures on Surgical Outcomes After Mastectomy: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Background Seroma after mastectomy and/or axillary lymph node dissection (ALND) is among the most common issue surgeons have to face in the early postoperative management of breast cancer. Using quilting sutures (QS) to aid in tissue approximation and decrease dead space is proposed as a simple technique to reduce seroma rate. We aimed to perform a systematic review, and analyse, in a meta-analytical model, the role of QS in improving wound outcomes and decrease volume, duration of drainage, and length of stay in hospital. Methods The study was registered with PROSPERO. A systematic search of the PubMed, EMBASE, and SCOPUS databases was performed for all comparative studies examining surgical outcomes in patients who underwent QS versus conventional closure (CC) after mastectomy ± ALND. Results Twenty-one studies with a total of 3473 patients (1736 in the study group and 1737 in the control group) were included based on the selection criteria. The study group showed significantly lower rates of seroma ( p < 0.00001), total volume of drainage ( p < 0.0001), days to drain removal ( p < 0.00001), and length of stay ( p < 0.00001) compared with the control group, while wound complication rates (surgical site infection, flap necrosis, hematoma, skin dimpling) were comparable between the two groups. Conclusions QS are a reliable intraoperative technique that decrease seroma formation, volume of postoperative drainage, duration of drainage and length of hospital stay, and should be considered in mastectomies with or without ALND.