title: The uses and abuses of drains in abdominal surgery.
abstract: Controversy surrounds the indications for and effectiveness of the abdominal drain. There are a variety of factors which mitigate against formulating rigid guidelines for the indications of drains, but surgeons should understand the benefits and applications of drainage and the tissue responses to the constituent materials. Drains are not a substitute for meticulous surgical technique.
authors.affiliation: Queens Medical Centre, Nottingham.
authors.forename: Muhammed A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Memon
authors.forename: Breda
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Memon
authors.forename: Mohammed I
authors.initials: MI
authors.lastname: Memon
authors.forename: John H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Donohue
mesh_terms: D000005:Abdomen; D001660:Biliary Tract Diseases; D004322:Drainage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods; D004378:Duodenal Diseases / Q000601:surgery; D005767:Gastrointestinal Diseases / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D008107:Liver Diseases / Q000601:surgery; D010182:Pancreatic Diseases / Q000601:surgery; D013158:Splenic Diseases / Q000601:surgery