Can the General Surgeon Use Quilting Sutures to Prevent Seromas Following Abdominal Wall Surgery?

A common post-operative complication of many operations is seroma formation, which, while generally considered to be relatively minor, can be problematic for patients and a drain on healthcare resources due to the need for frequent outpatient reviews and repeated aspirations. Several mechanisms have been implicated in the development of seromas, and drains have traditionally been used as a preventative strategy. However, drains are falling out of favour, not least because the evidence to support their use is limited and conflicting. In recent years, the use of quilting sutures, also known as progressive tension sutures, is starting to emerge as a favourable alternative for preventing post-operative seroma formation. Several studies and trials support their use in abdominal wall operations such as abdominoplasties and at abdominal wall donor sites in reconstructive breast operations. General surgeons perform many operations on the abdominal wall, such as ventral hernia repair, that predispose the patient to seroma formation. Can quilting sutures be used in operations on the abdominal wall to prevent seroma formation? This aim of this review was to evaluate the use of quilting sutures as described in several studies to reduce the incidence of post-operative seroma.