Postoperative use of abdominal binders: Bound to tradition? Postoperative use of abdominal binders

Introduction: An abdominal binder is an elastic or non-elastic belt applied to the abdomen in postoperative patients with abdominal surgery. These provide support and splintage to the operative wound, reducing incision site pain. The present work aims to investigate the institutional practices regarding the use of abdominal binders, gain insight into the expected benefits that these practices are targeted to achieve, and determine if current practices are in accordance with the available evidence. Materials and Methods: It is a survey-based questionnaire study conducted at the Department of Surgical Oncology at Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital & Research Center. Respondents were inquired about: designation, frequency of binder usage, reasons for prescribing/ not prescribing binders, duration of the prescription, clinical factors that influence the decision to use binders, and the estimated cost of the device. Results: The questionnaire was emailed to 85 surgeons working in the department of surgical oncology. Out of these, 34 responded, resulting in an overall response rate of 40%. 22 (64.7%) of the respondents used abdominal binders regularly in postoperative patients. 8 (22.5%) reported using it occasionally, while 4 (11.7%) did not use abdominal binders in their clinical practice. 67.8% and 50% of the respondents believed that it helped early mobilization and better pain control, respectively. About 60.7% of the respondents believed that binders prevent incisional hernia formation, while 46.4% were of the view that these prevented wound dehiscence. Up to 60% of the respondents reported using an abdominal binder for 1 week to 1 month after discharge, whereas 23.3% preferred using it only till discharge. Conclusion: This survey demonstrates a gap between the evidence and actual practice. These gaps are often overlooked because of busy clinical practice. Equally important is the issue of surgical conservatism and the intrinsic desire to resist change by continuing old practices

Clinicopathological Features and Treatment Outcomes of Male Breast Cancer in Pakistani Population: A 10-Year Retrospective Cross-Sectional Study

Background: Male breast cancer (MBC) accounts for 1% of global breast cancer cases. On account of its rarity, very few prospective clinical trials have been carried out on MBC. Pakistan has the highest incidence of breast cancer in Asia, but very limited data are available on MBC. Objectives: The objective is to determine the clinicopathological characteristics and treatment patterns of MBC in Pakistani population. Design: This is a retrospective cross-sectional study. Methods: A retrospective cross-sectional study carried out using the cancer database of Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital & Research Center. Men with a histologically proven breast cancer, stage 0 to III disease and requiring surgical intervention were included. The Kaplan-Meier curve and log-rank test were used for survival analysis. Results: Sixty-eight patients with MBC were included with a median age at diagnosis of 55 years. Most patients were stage II (47.1%). Invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC) was the commonest type (89.7%). Estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR), and Her-2 receptor positivity were 92.6%, 86.8%, and 32.4%, respectively. Mastectomy was performed in 95.6% of the cases. Neoadjuvant and adjuvant chemotherapy was administered in 25 (36.8%) and 26 (38.2%) patients, respectively. Fifty-five (80.9%) patients received adjuvant radiotherapy. Most of the patients (89.7%) received tamoxifen. The 5-year overall and disease-free survival was 88.2% and 80.9%, respectively. Patients receiving neoadjuvant chemotherapy had a better overall and disease-free survival ( P = .025). Conclusions: Male breast cancer occurs at a relatively earlier age in Pakistani population as compared with Western men. Mastectomy is the preferred surgical option for MBC on account of the advanced disease and delayed presentation. Neoadjuvant chemotherapy has a statistically significant effect on overall and disease-free survival, but in spite of these benefits, it remains underutilized

sj-docx-1-bcb-10.1177_11782234241233120 – Supplemental material for Clinicopathological Features and Treatment Outcomes of Male Breast Cancer in Pakistani Population: A 10-Year Retrospective Cross-Sectional Study

Supplemental material, sj-docx-1-bcb-10.1177_11782234241233120 for Clinicopathological Features and Treatment Outcomes of Male Breast Cancer in Pakistani Population: A 10-Year Retrospective Cross-Sectional Study by Ibtissam Bin Khalid, Albash Sarwar, Hassham Bin Khalid, Barka Sajjad, Bushra Rehman and Muhammad Asad Parvaiz in Breast Cancer: Basic and Clinical Research</p