NCT04985552

Brief Summary

In women who undergo mastectomy for the treatment of breast cancer, autologous reconstruction using the deep inferior epigastric perforator (DIEP) flap is a common surgical procedure that aims to restore both the appearance and texture of the breast(s). Specifically, this requires the transfer of skin, fat, and perforator vessels from the abdomen to a recipient artery and vein in the chest to create a viable breast mound. Post-operatively, the abdominal donor site is routinely monitored for wound dehiscence, which has a reported incidence of up to 39% in this patient population; however, this incidence typically varies from 3.5% to 14%. At the investigators' academic institution, patients who undergo DIEP breast reconstruction typically have closed incision negative pressure therapy (ciNPT) or traditional tape dressings applied to the closed abdominal donor site. These dressings are selected according to surgeon preference and typically remain in-situ until hospital discharge. As there remains clinical equipoise regarding the ability of ciNPT to reduce abdominal wound dehiscence, further research in the form of a parallel, two-arm RCT is warranted. The investigators propose a pilot study comparing ciNPT to standard tape dressings to the abdominal donor site incision for patients undergoing autologous DIEP breast reconstruction. As a pilot trial, the primary objective of the study is to assess feasibility outcomes. The design and conduct of the proposed pilot study will mirror the methodology of the definitive trial including randomization, interventions, and clinical outcomes. The secondary objective of this study is to evaluate clinical outcomes comparing ciNPT to standard tape dressings applied to the abdominal donor site incision. Clinical outcomes will include: 1) the incidence of abdominal wound dehiscence at 4 weeks following DIEP breast reconstruction; 2) the incidence of seroma formation and surgical site infection at 4 weeks; 3) quality of life as measured by BREAST-Q physical well-being abdomen and EQ-5D-5L pre-operatively, 1-month, 6-months, and 12-months postoperatively; 4) Scar appearance as measured by the SCAR-Q at 12-months postoperatively. The pilot RCT will demonstrate feasibility of a definitive trial comparing ciNPT to standard tape dressings for the abdominal donor site of patients undergoing DIEP breast reconstruction. A priori hypotheses for each feasibility outcome will be:

  1. 1.Eligibility: At least 90% of screened patients will be eligible.
  2. 2.Recruitment: At least 85% of eligible patients will be enrolled. To be considered fully enrolled patients must sign the informed consent form, complete baseline demographic questionnaires, and be randomized to a study arm.
  3. 3.Retention: At least 85% of randomized patients will complete the study, defined as completion of 12-month follow-up

Trial Health

35
At Risk

Trial Health Score

Automated assessment based on enrollment pace, timeline, and geographic reach

Trial has exceeded expected completion date
Enrollment
24

participants targeted

Target at below P25 for not_applicable breast-cancer

Timeline
Completed

Started Oct 2021

Shorter than P25 for not_applicable breast-cancer

Status
not yet recruiting

Health score is calculated from publicly available data and should be used for screening purposes only.

Trial Relationships

Click on a node to explore related trials.

Study Timeline

Key milestones and dates

First Submitted

Initial submission to the registry

July 5, 2021

Completed
28 days until next milestone

First Posted

Study publicly available on registry

August 2, 2021

Completed
2 months until next milestone

Study Start

First participant enrolled

October 1, 2021

Completed
1 year until next milestone

Primary Completion

Last participant's last visit for primary outcome

October 1, 2022

Completed
Same day until next milestone

Study Completion

Last participant's last visit for all outcomes

October 1, 2022

Completed
Last Updated

August 2, 2021

Status Verified

June 1, 2021

Enrollment Period

1 year

First QC Date

July 5, 2021

Last Update Submit

July 22, 2021

Conditions

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (3)

  • Percentage of Patient Eligibility - Study Feasibility

    The percentage of patients that are eligible for the study among those that are screened will be recorded. This criteria will be determined to be feasible if at least 90% of screened patients are deemed to be eligible.

    12 months

  • Percentage of Patient Recruitment - Study Feasibility

    The percentage of patients that are enrolled in the study among those determined to be eligible will be recorded. To be considered fully enrolled patients must sign the informed consent form, complete baseline demographic questionnaires, and be randomized to a study arm. This criteria will be determined to be feasible if at least 85% of eligible patients are recruited.

    12 months

  • Percentage of Patient Retention - Study Feasibility

    The percentage of patients that complete the study among those that are randomized will be recorded. Completion of the study will be defined as completion of 12 month follow-up questionnaires. This criteria will be determined to be feasible if at least 85% of randomized patients complete the study. As per Thabane et al., the investigators will collate the results of all three of the aforementioned primary outcomes to determine study eligibility. If all three criteria are met, the authors will decide that the study is feasible and continue without modifications. If one or more criteria is not met, the investigators will either decide to: Stop - main study not feasible, or Continue, but modify protocol - feasible with modifications, or Continue without modifications, but monitor closely - feasible with close monitoring

    12 months

Secondary Outcomes (6)

  • Percentage of participants with Abdominal Wall Dehiscence

    4 weeks

  • Percentage of participants with Seroma Formation

    4 weeks

  • Percentage of participants with Surgical Site Infection

    4 weeks

  • 5-level EQ-5D version (EQ-5D-5L) - Patient Quality of Life

    12 months

  • BREAST-Q physical well-being abdomen - Patient Quality of Life

    12 months

  • +1 more secondary outcomes

Study Arms (2)

ciNPT

EXPERIMENTAL
Procedure: DIEP Breast ReconstructionDevice: ciNPT

Conventional tape dressings

ACTIVE COMPARATOR
Procedure: DIEP Breast ReconstructionOther: Conventional Tape Dressings

Interventions

All patients enrolled in the study will undergo DIEP breast reconstruction and have their abdominal incision sutured according to routine clinical practice: 3-0 VICRYL ® suture (Ethicon, USA) for deep fascia closure, 4-0 MONOCRYL® suture (Ethicon, USA) for deep dermal closure, and 5-0 MONOCRYL® suture (Ethicon, USA) for subcuticular closure.

Conventional tape dressingsciNPT
ciNPTDEVICE

Following closure of the abdominal donor site, the closed incision will be dressed with the ciNPT system \[V.A.C.ULTAâ„¢ Negative Pressure Wound Therapy System (KCI, USA)\] applied by the operating surgeon in a sterile fashion. The ciNPT device will be set at -125mmHg of continuous negative pressure for a period of 7 days or until patient discharge from hospital. Removal of the ciNPT dressing will be performed by the surgical team at the time of discharge. Following removal, no additional dressings will be applied to the abdominal incision unless clinically indicated secondary to dehiscence.

ciNPT

Following closure of the abdominal donor site, the closed abdominal incision will be dressed with 1-inch Microporeâ„¢ Surgical Tape (3M, USA) with an alcohol swab applied to the tape for additional adhesion, by the operating surgeon in a sterile fashion. This dressing will remain in-situ for up to 7 days or until patient discharge from hospital. Removal of the traditional tape dressing will be performed by the surgical team at the time of discharge. Following removal, no additional dressings will be applied unless clinically indicated secondary to dehiscence.

Conventional tape dressings

Eligibility Criteria

Age18 Years+
Sexfemale
Healthy VolunteersYes
Age GroupsAdult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

  • adult female patients (≥ 18 years old)
  • consent to elective immediate (i.e. performed at the time of mastectomy) or delayed (i.e. performed following mastectomy) breast reconstruction using the DIEP flap

You may not qualify if:

  • patients who are pregnant
  • have a documented/reported allergy to adhesive dressings

Contact the study team to confirm eligibility.

Sponsors & Collaborators

Related Publications (18)

  • Leyngold MM. Is Unipedicled Transverse Rectus Abdominis Myocutaneous Flap Obsolete Owing to Superiority of DIEP Flap? Ann Plast Surg. 2018 Jun;80(6S Suppl 6):S418-S420. doi: 10.1097/SAP.0000000000001319.

    PMID: 29369109BACKGROUND
  • Chang EI, Liu J. Prospective Evaluation of Obese Patients Undergoing Autologous Abdominal Free Flap Breast Reconstruction. Plast Reconstr Surg. 2018 Aug;142(2):120e-125e. doi: 10.1097/PRS.0000000000004550.

    PMID: 29794640BACKGROUND
  • Muller-Sloof E, de Laat HEW, Hummelink SLM, Peters JWB, Ulrich DJO. The effect of postoperative closed incision negative pressure therapy on the incidence of donor site wound dehiscence in breast reconstruction patients: DEhiscence PREvention Study (DEPRES), pilot randomized controlled trial. J Tissue Viability. 2018 Nov;27(4):262-266. doi: 10.1016/j.jtv.2018.08.005. Epub 2018 Aug 14.

    PMID: 30126630BACKGROUND
  • Lindenblatt N, Gruenherz L, Farhadi J. A systematic review of donor site aesthetic and complications after deep inferior epigastric perforator flap breast reconstruction. Gland Surg. 2019 Aug;8(4):389-398. doi: 10.21037/gs.2019.06.05.

    PMID: 31538064BACKGROUND
  • Thacoor A, Kanapathy M, Torres-Grau J, Chana J. Deep inferior epigastric perforator (DIEP) flap: Impact of drain free donor abdominal site on long term patient outcomes and duration of inpatient stay. J Plast Reconstr Aesthet Surg. 2018 Aug;71(8):1103-1107. doi: 10.1016/j.bjps.2018.04.019. Epub 2018 May 22.

    PMID: 29910106BACKGROUND
  • Nelson JA, Chung CU, Fischer JP, Kanchwala SK, Serletti JM, Wu LC. Wound healing complications after autologous breast reconstruction: a model to predict risk. J Plast Reconstr Aesthet Surg. 2015 Apr;68(4):531-9. doi: 10.1016/j.bjps.2014.11.017. Epub 2014 Nov 28.

    PMID: 25557724BACKGROUND
  • Sandy-Hodgetts K, Watts R. Effectiveness of negative pressure wound therapy/closed incision management in the prevention of post-surgical wound complications: a systematic review and meta-analysis. JBI Database System Rev Implement Rep. 2015 Jan;13(1):253-303. doi: 10.11124/jbisrir-2015-1687.

    PMID: 26447018BACKGROUND
  • Wilkes RP, Kilpad DV, Zhao Y, Kazala R, McNulty A. Closed incision management with negative pressure wound therapy (CIM): biomechanics. Surg Innov. 2012 Mar;19(1):67-75. doi: 10.1177/1553350611414920. Epub 2011 Aug 25.

    PMID: 21868417BACKGROUND
  • Hyldig N, Birke-Sorensen H, Kruse M, Vinter C, Joergensen JS, Sorensen JA, Mogensen O, Lamont RF, Bille C. Meta-analysis of negative-pressure wound therapy for closed surgical incisions. Br J Surg. 2016 Apr;103(5):477-86. doi: 10.1002/bjs.10084.

    PMID: 26994715BACKGROUND
  • Tran BNN, Johnson AR, Shen C, Lee BT, Lee ES. Closed-Incision Negative-Pressure Therapy Efficacy in Abdominal Wall Reconstruction in High-Risk Patients: A Meta-analysis. J Surg Res. 2019 Sep;241:63-71. doi: 10.1016/j.jss.2019.03.033. Epub 2019 Apr 19.

    PMID: 31009887BACKGROUND
  • Siegwart LC, Sieber L, Fischer S, Maraka S, Kneser U, Kotsougiani-Fischer D. Influence of closed incision negative-pressure therapy on abdominal donor-site morbidity in microsurgical breast reconstruction. Microsurgery. 2022 Jan;42(1):32-39. doi: 10.1002/micr.30683. Epub 2020 Nov 17.

    PMID: 33201541BACKGROUND
  • Little RJ, D'Agostino R, Cohen ML, Dickersin K, Emerson SS, Farrar JT, Frangakis C, Hogan JW, Molenberghs G, Murphy SA, Neaton JD, Rotnitzky A, Scharfstein D, Shih WJ, Siegel JP, Stern H. The prevention and treatment of missing data in clinical trials. N Engl J Med. 2012 Oct 4;367(14):1355-60. doi: 10.1056/NEJMsr1203730. No abstract available.

    PMID: 23034025BACKGROUND
  • Whitehead AL, Julious SA, Cooper CL, Campbell MJ. Estimating the sample size for a pilot randomised trial to minimise the overall trial sample size for the external pilot and main trial for a continuous outcome variable. Stat Methods Med Res. 2016 Jun;25(3):1057-73. doi: 10.1177/0962280215588241. Epub 2015 Jun 19.

    PMID: 26092476BACKGROUND
  • Eldridge SM, Lancaster GA, Campbell MJ, Thabane L, Hopewell S, Coleman CL, Bond CM. Defining Feasibility and Pilot Studies in Preparation for Randomised Controlled Trials: Development of a Conceptual Framework. PLoS One. 2016 Mar 15;11(3):e0150205. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0150205. eCollection 2016.

    PMID: 26978655BACKGROUND
  • Thoma A, Avram R, Dal Cin A, Murphy J, Duku E, Xie F. Cost-effectiveness Analysis of Abdominal-based Autogenous Tissue and Tissue-expander Implant following Mastectomy. Plast Reconstr Surg Glob Open. 2020 Apr 11;8(10):e2986. doi: 10.1097/GOX.0000000000002986. eCollection 2020 Oct.

    PMID: 33173657BACKGROUND
  • Thoma A, Avram R, Dal Cin A, Murphy J, Duku E, Xie F. Comparing the Clinical and Cost-Effectiveness of Abdominal-based Autogenous Tissue and Tissue-Expander Implant: A Feasibility Study. Plast Reconstr Surg Glob Open. 2020 Apr 11;8(10):e3179. doi: 10.1097/GOX.0000000000003179. eCollection 2020 Oct.

    PMID: 33173691BACKGROUND
  • Herdman M, Gudex C, Lloyd A, Janssen M, Kind P, Parkin D, Bonsel G, Badia X. Development and preliminary testing of the new five-level version of EQ-5D (EQ-5D-5L). Qual Life Res. 2011 Dec;20(10):1727-36. doi: 10.1007/s11136-011-9903-x. Epub 2011 Apr 9.

    PMID: 21479777BACKGROUND
  • Gallo L, Kim P, Dunn E, Churchill I, Yuan M, Avram R, McRae M, Thoma A, Coroneos CJ, Voineskos SH. Closed-Incision Negative Pressure Therapy Compared to Conventional Dressing Following Autologous Abdominal Tissue Breast Reconstruction: The MACVAC Pilot Randomized Control Trial. Plast Surg (Oakv). 2025 Jul 1:22925503251350926. doi: 10.1177/22925503251350926. Online ahead of print.

Related Links

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Breast Neoplasms

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Neoplasms by SiteNeoplasmsBreast DiseasesSkin DiseasesSkin and Connective Tissue Diseases

Central Study Contacts

Sophocles Voineskos, MD, MSc

CONTACT

Study Design

Study Type
interventional
Phase
not applicable
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Masking
SINGLE
Who Masked
OUTCOMES ASSESSOR
Purpose
TREATMENT
Intervention Model
PARALLEL
Sponsor Type
OTHER
Responsible Party
SPONSOR

Study Record Dates

First Submitted

July 5, 2021

First Posted

August 2, 2021

Study Start

October 1, 2021

Primary Completion

October 1, 2022

Study Completion

October 1, 2022

Last Updated

August 2, 2021

Record last verified: 2021-06