title: A prospective randomized study of drained and undrained cholecystectomies.
abstract: One hundred twenty-three patients undergoing elective cholecystectomy at USAF Medical Center Keesler were studied in a prospective randomized manner to determine the differences in morbidity and mortality following drained and undrained cholecystectomies. The groups were compared for differences in mortality, wound infection, postoperative fever, and length of hospitalization. One death occurred due to an unrelated cause in an undrained patient. Three per cent of the undrained group developed wound infections as compared to five per cent in the drained group. This was not statistically significant. A significant difference occurred in postoperative fever between the drained (58%) and undrained (30%) groups. Postoperative hospitalization was also significantly shorter in the undrained group. This study suggests that drainage following elective cholecystectomy is not only unnecessary, but may add to postoperative morbidity and length of hospitalization.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002763:Cholecystectomy / Q000379:methods* / Q000401:mortality; D004322:Drainage; D005260:Female; D005334:Fever / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D007902:Length of Stay; D008297:Male; D008922:Mississippi; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011897:Random Allocation; D013530:Surgical Wound Infection / Q000453:epidemiology