title: One or two drains after lobectomy? A comparison of both methods in the immediate postoperative period.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The conventional method of double chest tube drainage after lobectomy is well established. The aim of the study was to compare the efficacy of the two-drain versus the single-drain approach after this procedure.
  
  
  METHODS
  The data of 183 consecutive patients who underwent lobectomy between January 2000 and May 2005 were analyzed: 93 had two drains and 90 had a single, midposition drain. All patients were operated on by one surgeon with the same surgical technique.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Patients with one drain had a shorter hospital stay (7.6 days vs. 9.0 days; P = 0.001). There were no significant differences in the amount of drainage, the necessity of redrainage or broncho-aspiration, and postoperative mortality or complications. The period in which opioids (4.8 days vs. 5.6 days; P = 0.0001) and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (6.8 days vs. 7.7 days; P = 0.002) were required was shorter in patients with one drain. The fourth postoperative day was more painful for patients with a double drain. The cost savings in the one-drain group were approximately 125 Euros per patient.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A single-drain method is effective, reduces hospitalization times and the cost of treatment in patients who undergo lobectomy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic Surgery, Wroclaw Medical University, Wroclaw, Poland. kopaw@wp.pl
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Pawelczyk
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Marciniak
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Kacprzak
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kolodziej
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D015505:Chest Tubes / Q000191:economics; D017046:Cost Savings; D004322:Drainage / Q000191:economics / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007902:Length of Stay; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010149:Postoperative Pain / Q000453:epidemiology; D011013:Pneumonectomy / Q000191:economics / Q000379:methods*; D011044:Poland