title: Vacuum requirement in closed surgical drainage of the head and neck.
abstract: Prophylactic vacuum drainage of surgical wounds is a controversial issue, but is acknowledged to be important in head and neck surgery. A study was undertaken to identify the ideal surgical drain. The results indicate that the low vacuum systems are inefficient, and should not be used in situations where tissue swelling may compromise the airway.
authors.affiliation: Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Department, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford.
authors.forename: J F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Schnetler
mesh_terms: D004322:Drainage / Q000379:methods*; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D006257:Head / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D009333:Neck / Q000601:surgery