The contribution of a collagen-fibrin patch (Tachosil) to prevent the postoperative lymphatic complications after groin lymphadenectomy: A double institution observational study

Objective Postoperative morbidity associated with groin lymphadenectomy remain high and still represents a major concern for this patients. The aim of this study was to confirm the efficacy of TachoSil ® in preventing postoperative complications after inguinofemoral lymphadenectomy for gynecological malignancy. Study design An observational study was conducted to evaluate the incidence of postoperative complications among 49 patients (TachoSil ® group = 24; control group = 25) underwent groin dissection enrolled in two Italian Department of Gynecology Oncology from 2011 to 2014. Results A total of 74 inguinal dissections were performed. Bilateral groin dissection was performed in 25 patients (Tachosil group = 10; group 2 = 15). Patients in TachoSil ® group showed a lower daily drainage volume with a mean volume of 84 ml (range 30-465) vs. 143 ml (range -72 to 413) in the control group (p =.004), and a lower total drainage volume with a mean of 540 ml (range 90-930) vs. 900 ml (range 200-3270) for Tachosil and control group, respectively. A lower incidence of lymphocyst required drainage, cellulitis, wound infection and late lymphedema was observed in TachoSil group even without reaching statistical significance. Conclusions This observational study confirmed that the use of TachoSil ® seems to be highly effective in reducing the rate of postoperative lymphorrea and postoperative complications after groin dissection in case of gynecological malignancies. Larger multicenter prospective study is advisable to validate our preliminary results.