Vacuum-assisted closure in the treatment of seroma after axillary lymph node dissection

This paper describes a novel approach to the treatment of otherwise refractory seromas by applying vacuum-assisted closure (VAC) to the seroma cavity. Foam is inserted in the cavity thru an incision in the skin, and the VAC is applied with a continuous suction, which presumably makes the open lymph vessels collapse. When the lymphatic output declines, the size of the sponges and hereby the size of the cavity is reduced successively. We present a 74-year-old man with a malignant melanoma suffering from seroma in the axilla after an axillary lymph node dissection. The lymph production decreased after 2 days resulting in closing of the cavity and cure of the seroma. Level of Evidence: Level V, therapeutic study