A technique for drainage through the bed of the twelfth rib.
Operations in the upper part of the abdomen with anticipated large postoperative collections are best drained through the most direct and dependent route. An effective method through the bed of the twelfth rib, which uses intra-abdominal resection of the rib and a wire suture for locating the drains, has proved satisfactory without compromising dependency or directness. It can be used for the insertion of Penrose drains or a sump catheter with equal effectiveness.
D000005:Abdomen / Q000601:surgery*; D004322:Drainage / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D012272:Ribs