INTRODUCTION: Surgical drains are a critical component for recovery in breast reconstruction procedures. In order to achieve better outcomes, it is necessary to develop a more thorough understanding of the patient perspective on surgical drains.
METHODS:In this IRB-approved study, 29 women who had undergone post-mastectomy reconstruction were recruited to complete a survey focused on their overall drain experience, infection concerns, and drain cleaning. Ordinal variable and categorical multiple-choice analyses were applied as appropriate. A Likert scale ranging from 1-5 (least to most bothersome) was used to gauge patient experience. Free-response descriptions were reported based on term frequency and displayed as a circle-packed bubble chart using R (version 4.0.3).
RESULTS:The mean age of surveyed patients was 48.7 (SD 12.5), with a median drain placement duration of 3 weeks. 51.7% (15/29) and 48.3% (14/29) received implant or flap reconstructions, respectively. The median (3,3) and mode (3,4) were reported for discomfort and infection concern (1-5), respectively. The surgical site infection rate requiring antibiotics was 28% (8/ 29). Most patients reported cleaning their drains with alcohol wipes, water, or soap. High frequency patient concerns included difficulty with sleeping and showering or general pain and discomfort. Term frequencies related to drain emptying are represented in the word cloud and bar chart.CONCLUSION: Surgical drains are often considered a necessary evil of surgical procedures, as is reflected in this qualitative study characterizing patient experience after breast reconstruction. Overall, this data can be used to provide insight for future innovation in the postoperative setting.
Infective endocarditis caused by Mycobacterium abscessus is an uncommon event that, when it does occur, usually requires surgical valve replacement. The pulmonary valve is the least common heart valve involved in infective endocarditis. We present a rare case of isolated pulmonary valve endocarditis with Mycobacterium abscessus in a patient with recurrent sternal infections following repeated coronary artery bypass.
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