Is there still a need for prophylactic intra-abdominal drainage in elective major gastro-intestinal surgery?
Prophylactic drainage of the abdominal cavity after gastro-intestinal surgery is widely used. The rationale is that intra-abdominal drainage enhances early detection of complications (gastro-intestinal leakage, hemorrhage, bile leak), prevents collection of fluid or pus, reduces morbidity and mortality, and decreases the duration of hospital stay. However, dogmatic attitudes favoring systematic drain placement should be questioned. The aim of this review was to evaluate the evidence supporting systematic use of prophylactic abdominal drainage following gastrectomy, pancreatectomy, liver resection, and rectal resection. Based on this review of the literature: (i) there was no evidence in favor of intra-peritoneal drainage following total or sub-total gastrectomy with respect to morbidity-mortality, nor was it helpful in the diagnosis or management of leakage, however the level of evidence is low, (ii) following pancreatic resection, data are conflicting but, overall, suggest that the absence of drainage is prejudicial, and support the notion that short-term drainage is better than long-term drainage, (iii) after liver resection without hepatico-intestinal anastomosis, high level evidence supports that there is no need for abdominal drainage, and (iv) following rectal resection, data are insufficient to establish recommendations. However, results from the French multicenter randomized controlled trial GRECCAR5 (NCT01269567) should provide new evidence this coming year. Accumulating data support that systematic drainage of the abdominal cavity in digestive surgery is a non-beneficial and obsolete practice, except following pancreatectomy where the consensus appears to indicate the usefulness of short-term drainage. While the level of evidence is high for liver resections, new randomized controlled trials are awaited regarding gastric, pancreatic and rectal surgery.
Service de Chirurgie Digestive et Générale, Centre Hospitalier Régional Universitaire de Lille, Hôpital Claude-Huriez, Place de Verdun, 59037 Lille cedex, France.
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Messager
Service de Chirurgie Digestive et Oncologique, CHU d'Amiens, Amiens, France.
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Sabbagh
Service de Chirurgie Colorectale, Hôpital Saint-André, CHU de Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France.
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Denost
Service de Chirurgie Digestive et Oncologique, CHU d'Amiens, Amiens, France.
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Regimbeau
Service de Chirurgie Colorectale, Hôpital Saint-André, CHU de Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France.
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Laurent
Service de Chirurgie Colorectale, Hôpital Saint-André, CHU de Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France.
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Rullier
Service de Chirurgie Digestive, Hôpital Paul-Brousse, Villejuif, France.
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Sa Cunha
Service de Chirurgie Digestive et Générale, Centre Hospitalier Régional Universitaire de Lille, Hôpital Claude-Huriez, Place de Verdun, 59037 Lille cedex, France. Electronic address: christophe.mariette@chru-lille.fr.
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Mariette
D000005:Abdomen; D013505:Digestive System Surgical Procedures; D004322:Drainage / Q000379:methods*; D017558:Elective Surgical Procedures; D006801:Humans; D011182:Postoperative Care / Q000379:methods*; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000517:prevention & control*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
Abdominal surgery; Liver; Morbidity; Pancreas; Prophylactic drainage; Rectum; Review; Stomach