Story and Pix by Saiful Bahri Kamaruddin

BANGI, 24 Feb 2016 – A reconstruction and breast surgery specialist has proposed changing the way that pus from breast abscesses or ulcers are removed to an alternate technique which she says reduces treatment time, is less painful and minimizes scars.

Dr Norlia Abdullah of the UKM Specialist Centre  told the UKM News Portal recently that the alternative method actively removes the pus, while the common process is passive and slow.

She said the new method is especially effective for nursing mothers with breast abscesses larger than 5 cm.

Dubbed the Breast Abscess Drainage and Irrigation System (BADIS), two small incisions of about 1 cm are made, ensuring that a passage is made between the two incisions.

When pus has been removed from the passage, two surgical drain tubings are inserted, one each at the outlet and inlet.

The resulting cavity irrigated with Hydrogen Peroxide at half strength with saline solution, and this can be done three times a day for the next two days until all the pus is removed by suction.

 “If all goes well, the fluid that emerges turns clear and no longer the colour of pus. The tubings can be removed and the wounds dressed with waterproof dressing. The patient is then discharged with wound dressing after a week,” she explained.

She said the conventional method is to treat a large abscess with an incision and wait until all pus is drained off naturally, which might take weeks.

This method, she said, would produce a large open wound needing daily dressing stretching over many weeks before healing; resulting in unsightly scars on the breast.

She believes that the alternate method with drainage and irrigation is more effective because suctioning out the pus reduces the treatment time and thus, the wound can be closed up sooner with stitches.

She pointed out that all the materials are readily available and most doctors can perform the surgery needed for the technique.

Dr Norlia stressed that the new method is especially useful for nursing mothers who had developed the abscesses through wrong breast-feeding methods.

They cannot afford to wait too long for treatment because they have to attend to their babie, she reasoned.

However, she added, the best form of treatment is prevention and advised young mothers to learn the correct way to suckle their babies by attending pre-natal clinics.