title: [Use of a thin retrocardiac drain after open heart surgery. Description of the technique].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To describe a technique with a thin drainage system placed behind the heart, avoiding reoperation caused by tamponade due to pericardial effusion in patients who undergo open heart surgery.
  
  
  METHODS
  We studied 59 patients, average age of 50 years. Twenty-six (44%) patients had undergone CABG, 25 (42%) valvar procedures and 8 (14%) different procedures. The control group were 20 patients, average age 44 years. Nine (45%) underwent CABG, 6 (30%) valvar procedures and 5 (25%) other procedures. Every patient was submitted to echocardiographic study to verify presence of pericardial effusion after operation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There was one patient with pericardial effusion with 8mm in the study group. Six patients showed pericardial effusion in the control group. The control group had mean drainage flow of 320 +/- 110ml and average permanence time was 45 +/- 10h. The study group had mean drainage flow of 410 +/- 122ml, the average permanence time was 46 +/- 10h. There was statistic difference between both groups when we compared the frequency of pericardial effusion.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This drainage system reduces pericardial effusion comparing with the literature and causes little discomfort to the patient. The fixed rule to remove the drains did not present more discomfort to the patient and there were no complications related to its permanence.
authors.affiliation: Faculdade de Ciências Médicas, UNICAMP, Campinas.
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Petrucci Júnior
authors.forename: P P
authors.initials: PP
authors.lastname: de Oliveira
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Antoniali
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Baccarin
authors.forename: D M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Braile
authors.forename: R W
authors.initials: RW
authors.lastname: Vieira
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D004322:Drainage / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010490:Pericardial Effusion / Q000517:prevention & control*; D011182:Postoperative Care / Q000379:methods*; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D019616:Thoracic Surgical Procedures