PERCUTANEOUS DRAINAGE OF INTRAABDOMINAL ABSCESSES USING LARGE LUMEN TUBES UNDER COMPUTED TOMOGRAPHIC CONTROL

Objective. To describe our experience of percutaneous drainage of intr a-abdominal abscesses with large-bore catheters under computed tomogra phic control. Design: Retrospective study. Setting: Teaching hospital, Greece. Subjects: 185 Patients treated for abdominal abscesses during the period 1989-94. Interventions: Needle aspiration (n = 27), draina ge through conventional pigtail catheters (n = 22), and drainage throu gh large-bore (8-16F) Argyle drains (n = 136). Main outcome measures: Morbidity. Results: The overall success rate was 166/185 (92%). Of the 136 patients for whom the large-bore drains were used, 9 (7%) develop ed major complications (bowel fistula, n = 5; and pneumothorax and hae morrhage, n = 2 each) and 10 (7%) developed minor complications (obstr uction of the tube, n = 4; dislocation of the tube, n = 3; bleeding fr om the wound, n = 2; and haematoma of the liver, n = 1). There were no deaths. Conclusion: Large-bore Argyle drains are efficient and safe f or the percutaneous drainage of certain types of abdominal abscesses.