title: Impact of abdominal drainage systems on postoperative complication rates following liver transplantation.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Depending on the extent of surgery, coagulation status and the number of anastomoses, drains are routinely used during liver transplantation. The aim of this study was to compare different drain types with regard to abdominal complication rates.
  
  
  METHODS
  All consecutive full-size orthotopic liver transplantations (LTX) performed over a 7-year period were included in this retrospective analysis. Abdominal drain groups were divided into open-circuit drains and closed-circuit drains. Data are reported as total number (%) or median (range); for all comparisons a p value <0.05 was considered statistically significant.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 256 LTX [age 56.89 (0.30-75.21) years; MELD 14.5 (7-40)] was included; 56 (21.8 %) patients received an open-circuit Easy Flow Drain (Group 1) and 200 (78.2 %) a closed-circuit Robinson Drainage System (Group 2). For Groups 1 and 2, overall infection rates were 78.6 and 56 % (p = 0.001), abdominal infection rates 50.82 and 21.92 % (p = 0.001), yeast infection rates 37 and 23 % (p = 0.02), abdominal bleeding rates 26.78 and 17 % (p = 0.07), biliary complication rates 14.28 and 13.5 % (p = 0.51), respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In this retrospective series, open-circuit drains were associated with more abdominal complications, mainly due to intraabdominal infections, than were closed-circuit drains.
authors: Department of Visceral, Transplant and Thoracic Surgery, Medical University Innsbruck, Anichstrasse 35, 6020, Innsbruck, Austria. sascha.weiss@i-med.ac.at.
authors: Sascha
authors: S
authors: Weiss
authors: Department of Visceral, Transplant and Thoracic Surgery, Medical University Innsbruck, Anichstrasse 35, 6020, Innsbruck, Austria. franka.messner@uki.at.
authors: Franka
authors: F
authors: Messner
authors: Department of Visceral, Transplant and Thoracic Surgery, Medical University Innsbruck, Anichstrasse 35, 6020, Innsbruck, Austria. marcus.huth@uki.at.
authors: Marcus
authors: M
authors: Huth
authors: Department of Visceral, Transplant and Thoracic Surgery, Medical University Innsbruck, Anichstrasse 35, 6020, Innsbruck, Austria. annemarie.weissenbacher@i-med.ac.at.
authors: Annemarie
authors: A
authors: Weissenbacher
authors: Department of General, Visceral and Transplantation Surgery, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Augustenburger Platz 1, 13353, Berlin, Germany. christian.denecke@charite.de.
authors: Christian
authors: C
authors: Denecke
authors: Department of General, Visceral and Transplantation Surgery, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Augustenburger Platz 1, 13353, Berlin, Germany. felix.aigner@charite.de.
authors: Felix
authors: F
authors: Aigner
authors: Department of General, Visceral and Transplantation Surgery, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Augustenburger Platz 1, 13353, Berlin, Germany. andreas.brandl@charite.de.
authors: Andreas
authors: A
authors: Brandl
authors: Department of General, Visceral and Transplantation Surgery, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Augustenburger Platz 1, 13353, Berlin, Germany. tomasz.dziodzio@charite.de.
authors: Tomasz
authors: T
authors: Dziodzio
authors: Department of General, Visceral and Transplantation Surgery, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Augustenburger Platz 1, 13353, Berlin, Germany. robert.sucher@charite.de.
authors: Robert
authors: R
authors: Sucher
authors: Department of Visceral, Transplant and Thoracic Surgery, Medical University Innsbruck, Anichstrasse 35, 6020, Innsbruck, Austria. claudia.boesmueller@uki.at.
authors: Claudia
authors: C
authors: Boesmueller
authors: Department of General, Visceral and Transplantation Surgery, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Augustenburger Platz 1, 13353, Berlin, Germany. robert.oellinger@charite.de.
authors: Robert
authors: R
authors: Oellinger
authors: Department of Visceral, Transplant and Thoracic Surgery, Medical University Innsbruck, Anichstrasse 35, 6020, Innsbruck, Austria. stefan.schneeberger@i-med.ac.at.
authors: Stefan
authors: S
authors: Schneeberger
authors: Department of Visceral, Transplant and Thoracic Surgery, Medical University Innsbruck, Anichstrasse 35, 6020, Innsbruck, Austria. dietmar.oefner-velano@uki.at.
authors: Dietmar
authors: D
authors: Oefner
authors: Department of General, Visceral and Transplantation Surgery, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Augustenburger Platz 1, 13353, Berlin, Germany. johann.pratschke@charite.de.
authors: Johann
authors: J
authors: Pratschke
authors: Department of General, Visceral and Transplantation Surgery, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Augustenburger Platz 1, 13353, Berlin, Germany. matthias.biebl@charite.de.
authors: Matthias
authors: M
authors: Biebl
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D004322:Drainage; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016031:Liver Transplantation / Q000009:adverse effects*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D055815:Young Adult