Sentinel lymph node biopsy in early melanoma-comparison of two techniques for sentinel removal

摘要

Background Sentinel lymph node biopsy is an established technique for melanoma staging. Objective There are no studies available comparing different techniques for the removal of sentinel lymph nodes related to safety and postsurgical complication rate. Methods This is a retrospective single-center trial. We analyzed the postsurgical complications in 201 consecutive melanoma patients with ligature of lymphatic vessels by sutures (group A) and in 91 consecutive patients with occlusion of lymphatic vessels by bipolar tweezers (group B). We paid particular attention to complications related to disturbed lymphatic function, such as lymph edema, lymphatic fistula, and seroma.