• Marcello Picchio, Francesco De Angelis, Settimio Zazza, Annalisa Di Filippo, Raffaello Mancini, Giada Pattaro, Francesco Stipa, Adewale Oluseye Adisa, Giuseppe Marino, and Erasmo Spaziani.
• Department of Surgery, Hospital P. Colombo, Via Orti Ginnetti 7, 00049, Velletri, Rome, Italy. marcellopicchio@libero.it
• Surg Endosc. 2012 Oct 1; 26 (10): 2817-22.

BackgroundRoutine drainage after laparoscopic cholecystectomy is still debatable. The present study was designed to assess the role of drains in laparoscopic cholecystectomy performed for nonacutely inflamed gallbladder.MethodsAfter laparoscopic gallbladder removal, 53 patients were randomized to have a suction drain positioned in the subhepatic space and 53 patients to have a sham drain. The primary outcome measure was the presence of subhepatic fluid collection at abdominal ultrasonography, performed 24 h after surgery. Secondary outcome measures were postoperative abdominal and shoulder tip pain, use of analgesics, nausea, vomiting, and morbidity.ResultsSubhepatic fluid collection was not found in 45 patients (84.9 %) in group A and in 46 patients (86.8 %) in group B (difference 1.9 (95 % confidence interval -11.37 to 15.17; P = 0.998). No significant difference in visual analogue scale scores with respect to abdominal and shoulder pain, use of parenteral ketorolac, nausea, and vomiting were found in either group. Two (1.9 %) significant hemorrhagic events occurred postoperatively. Wound infection was observed in three patients (5.7 %) in group A and two patients (3.8 %) in group B (difference 1.9 (95 % CI -6.19 to 9.99; P = 0.997).ConclusionsThe present study was unable to prove that the drain was useful in elective, uncomplicated LC.

28 keywords...

hide…