Factors associated with the healing of complex surgical wounds in the breast and abdomen: retrospective cohort study.
Eline Lima Borges, José Ferreira Pires, Mery Natali Silva Abreu and 3 others
PMID 27737379WHAT IT FOUND
In 160 patients with complex surgical wounds, smaller wounds, breast segment removal, and early outpatient care healed faster.
Marlex mesh and hydrocolloid dressings were linked to slower healing. High alcohol consumption was unexpectedly associated with faster healing, contradicting standard surgical guidance.
Key findings
01Wound extension below the median of 17.3 cm² and length of existence prior to outpatient treatment below 15 days were independently associated with a higher likelihood of healing.
02The use of Marlex mesh and hydrocolloid covering was associated with a lower likelihood of curing the complex surgical wound.
03Consumption of more than 20 grams of alcohol per day was associated with an increased likelihood of wound healing, a finding the authors note contradicts previous studies.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The study relied on medical records, which meant important variables like body mass index, surgical technique, and suture type were missing and could not be analyzed. There was no control group of patients with surgical wounds that healed normally, making it impossible to compare against a standard baseline. The association between alcohol consumption and faster healing contradicts previous evidence and may be due to unmeasured confounding factors rather than a true biological effect. The negative association with hydrocolloid dressings is likely confounded by indication, as these dressings were used on patients with more severe or infected wounds.
Declared interests
No specific funding sources or conflicts of interest were reported in the provided text.
The easy way to misread this
Do not advise patients that drinking alcohol helps surgical wounds heal. Although the study found an association between high alcohol consumption and faster healing, the authors state this contradicts previous evidence and may be an error caused by missing data. Also, do not stop using hydrocolloid dressings based on this paper; the slow healing seen with them was likely because they were used on the worst wounds, not because the dressing itself caused the delay.