POSTOPERATIVE INTRAABDOMINAL ABSCESSES - PERCUTANEOUS VERSUS SURGICAL-TREATMENT

The optimal treatment of postoperative intraabdominal abscesses has no t yet been defined and mortality and morbidity remain high. In this re trospective study 2.310 laparotomies were reviewed. The records of 39 patients with postoperative intraabdominal abscesses (1.6%) are report ed and the results obtained in percutaneous drainage (PD, n = 27) vers us surgical drainage (SD, n = 10) are compared. The choice of drainage was made after consultation with the interventional radiologist, and PD was preferred in single, well-de fined abscesses. Two patients had prompt spontaneous resolution of the abscess. The two groups were homo geneous for age, sex and postoperative day of abscess diagnosis. There was no difference in severity of illness assessed by Acute Physiologi c Score (APS) between PD and SD groups (7.9 vs 9.3). No significant di fference was found in mortality (11% vs 20%), morbidity (11% vs 40%) a nd duration of drain tube (14 vs 15 days) between PD group and SD grou p. This study confirms the data of recent retrospective stratified ser ies: PD and SD are equally efficacious to cure postoperative intraabdo minal abscesses. However, PD should be the treatment of choice because of its lower invasiveness and cost.