Objective: Breast carcinoma is the commonest cancer affecting female gender and is the second major cause of mortality in females globally. Among different surgical options, modified radical mastectomy (MRM) with or without neoadjuvant therapy is the most frequent surgery carried out globally for breast carcinoma. In this study we aimed to determine the frequency of early post-operative complications following modified radical mastectomy (MRM) in patients with breast carcinoma.

Material and methods: This dual setting retrospective descriptive study was conducted at General surgery departments of Kuwait Teaching Hospital and MTI-Lady Reading Hospital Peshawar between January, 2018 and June, 2019. A total of 60 patients aged >18 years with biopsy proven stage-I to stage-III breast carcinoma who underwent modified radical mastectomy were included.All patients were followed on weekly basis for six weeks at the out-patient department (OPD) and evaluated for the development of early complications such as seroma/hematoma, flap necrosis and wound infections.

Results: Seroma formation found in 9 patients (15%) and wound infection seen in 5 patients (8.3%) were the commonest complications.

Conclusion: In our study seroma formation was the most common complication followed by wound infection. Skin flap necrosis, wound dehiscence, hematoma formation and development of early lymphoedema were less common. None of our patients presented with muscle paralysis secondary to nerves injury.

Keywords: Breast carcinoma, modified radical mastectomy, complications, seroma, wound infection.