CLINICAL-EVALUATION OF CLOSED SUCTION DRAINAGE FOLLOWING HEPATECTOMY

A prospective randomized study on 186 patients was conducted to determ ine the influence of closed suction drainage (n = 102) versus open dra inage (n = 84) on the incidence of postoperative complications after e lective hepatic resection. The patients were randomly allocated betwee n the two groups. A total of 60 complications occurred in 31 of the 84 patients (36.9%) given open drainage, while 24 complications occurred in 15 of the 102 patients (14.7%) given closed suction drainage. The incidence of pleural effusion, postoperative ascites, and infected sub phrenic collections was significantly lower in the closed suction drai nage group than in the open drainage group, at 31% vs 16% (P < 0.05), 19% vs 3% (P < 0.01), and 17% vs 5% (P < 0.05) respectively. However, both groups showed similar rates of subphrenic hematoma and bile colle ction. These findings indicate that closed suction drainage significan tly reduces the incidence of postoperative complications after effecti ve hepatic resection.