A Prospective, Blinded, Open-Label Clinical Trial to Assess the Ability of Fluorescent Light Energy to Enhance Wound Healing after Mastectomy in Female Dogs.

Simple Summary: Surgical wound management may represent a challenge due to possible complications and drug consumption. The present paper explores a novel fluorescence-based photobiomodulation (FLE) device as a wound management option in female dogs undergoing surgery for mammary cancer. Nine bitches received unilateral or bilateral mastectomy, and half of the wound was managed with FLE (a blue LED device that illuminates a roughly 2 mm layer of fluorescence-producing gel), while the remain part of the wound received no FLE. The illumination was repeated twice in the same session (one minute apart) and five days apart. Neither antimicrobials nor other drugs were administered to the dogs. All wound portions managed with fluorescent photobiomodulation showed a notably better quality of wound healing in terms of having fewer step-off borders, negligeable contour irregularities, and an absence of scar distortion. Moreover, when taking into account inflammatory indexes such as erythema, edema, and serous discharge, these were registered as being significantly lower for those wound portions illuminated with fluorescent photobiomodulation. The outcomes of this preliminary study underscore the positive impact of fluorescent photobiomodulation on the healing of post-mastectomy wounds in female dogs, with the chance to potentially replace certain topical treatments and improve the overall compliance of owners. Mammary gland tumors represent the most frequently diagnosed malignant neoplasm in intact female dogs, and surgical removal represents the current gold standard treatment. To promote wound healing and prevent possible bacterial contamination, perioperative antimicrobials are commonly used in clinical practice, even though there are no publications establishing guidelines for the use of such drugs in canine mastectomy. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the ameliorative effect of fluorescent light energy on the quality of the healing process after mastectomy surgery in female dogs, in the absence of perioperative antimicrobial administration. Nine female dogs received a multiple-gland mastectomy due to gland tumors and received FLE application immediately after surgery and then five days after. The surgical incisions were evaluated by a blind investigator over time using the Modified Hollander Cosmesis and Modified Draize Wound Healing Score systems. Statistical analysis revealed a significant ameliorative effect of FLE in the control of step-off borders, contour irregularities, and excessive distortion. In addition, erythema, edema, and serous discharge were lower for those wounds managed with FLE. These results underscore the advantageous impact of FLE on the healing of post-mastectomy wounds in female dogs, offering the dual benefits of reducing potential infection risks and lessening the home care burden for pet owners. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]