• D Voros, A Gouliamos, G Kotoulas, D Kouloheri, G Saloum, and A Kalovidouris.
• 2nd Dept of Surgery, University of Athens, Aretaeio Hospital, Greece.
• Eur J Surg. 1996 Nov 1; 162 (11): 895-8.

ObjectiveTo describe our experience of percutaneous drainage of intra-abdominal abscesses with large-bore catheters under computed tomographic control.DesignRetrospective study.SettingTeaching hospital, Greece.Subjects185 Patients treated for abdominal abscesses during the period 1989-94.InterventionsNeedle aspiration (n = 27), drainage through conventional pigtail catheters (n = 22), and drainage through large-bore (8-16F) Argyle drains (n = 136).Main Outcome MeasuresMorbidity.ResultsThe overall success rate was 166/185 (92%). Of the 136 patients for whom the large-bore drains were used, 9 (7%) developed major complications (bowel fistula, n = 5; and pneumothorax and haemorrhage, n = 2 each) and 10 (7%) developed minor complications (obstruction of the tube, n = 4; dislocation of the tube, n = 3; bleeding from the wound, n = 2; and haematoma of the liver, n = 1). There were no deaths.ConclusionLarge-bore Argyle drains are efficient and safe for the percutaneous drainage of certain types of abdominal abscesses.

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