title: Comparison of natural drainage group and negative drainage groups after total thyroidectomy: prospective randomized controlled study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to compare a negative pressure drain with a natural drain in order to determine whether a negative pressure drainage tube causes an increase in the drainage volume.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sixty-two patients who underwent total thyroidectomy for papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) were enrolled in the study between March 2010 and August 2010 at Gyeongsang National University Hospital. The patients were prospectively and randomly assigned to two groups, a negative pressure drainage group (n=32) and natural drainage group (n=30). Every 3 hours, the volume of drainage was checked in the two groups until the tube was removed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The amount of drainage during the first 24 hours postoperatively was 41.68 ± 3.93 mL in the negative drain group and 25.3 ± 2.68 mL in the natural drain group (p<0.001). After 24 additional hours, the negative drain group was 35.19 ± 4.26 mL and natural drain groups 21.53 ± 2.90 mL (p<0.001). However, the drainage at postoperative day 3 was not statistically different between the two groups. In addition, the vocal cord palsy and temporary and permanent hypocalcemia were not different between the two groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results indicate that a negative pressure drain may increase the amount of drainage during the first 24-48 hours postoperatively. Therefore, it is not necessary to place a closed suction drain when only a total thyroidectomy is done.
authors.affiliation: Department of 1Otolaryngology and Institute of Health Sciences, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju, Korea.
authors.forename: Seung Hoon
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Woo
authors.forename: Jin Pyeong
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Jung Je
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Hyun Seok
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Shim
authors.forename: Sang Ha
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Ho Joong
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Seong Jun
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Won
authors.forename: Hee Young
authors.initials: HY
authors.lastname: Son
authors.forename: Rock Bum
authors.initials: RB
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Young-Ik
authors.initials: YI
authors.lastname: Son
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000601:surgery*; D002291:Carcinoma, Papillary; D004322:Drainage / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011182:Postoperative Care / Q000379:methods; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000601:surgery; D011184:Postoperative Period; D011312:Pressure; D011446:Prospective Studies; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D013514:Surgical Procedures, Operative; D000077273:Thyroid Cancer, Papillary; D013964:Thyroid Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery*; D013965:Thyroidectomy / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods*; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome