Therapeutic groin dissection for melanoma: Risk factors for short term morbidity

Aims: Ilio-inguinal lymph node dissection for stage III melanoma is often complicated by wound healing disturbances. A retrospective study was performed to investigate the wound healing disturbances after therapeutic ili-inguinal lymphj node dissection. Patients and methods: Between 1989 and 2007, 139 consecutive patients, 73 females (53%) and 66 males (47%), median age 55 (range infection, wound necrosis and seroma. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to evaluate the influence of a wide range of variables on postoperative complications. Results: Seventy-two patients had one or more early wound complications (49.7%). These complications comprised haematoma (n = 3, 2.1%), wound infection (n = 30, 20.7%), wound necrosis (n = 25, 17.5%) and seroma (n = 31, 21.8%). Wound infections were infections were significantly more common in patients with a body mass index (BMI) of > 25 (p = 0.019). Wound necrosis developed significantly more often if the Bohler Braun splint was not used postoperatively (p = 0.002). The occurrence of one or more ealy complications was significantly associated with non-use of a Bohler Braun splint (p = 0.026) and age of > 55 years (p = 0.015). Conclusions: High BMI was significantly correlated with the occurrence of wound infections. Bed with of the hip and knee in flexion using a Bohler splint improved wound healing after therapeutic ilio-inguinal lymph node dissection. (C) 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.