IS THERE ΑΝ ANSWER TO THE DILEMMA: CHOLOCYSTECTOMY WITH OR WITHOUT DRAINAGE?
Abstract
94 patients undergoing cholecystectomy for non-acute gallbladder pathology were randomized with regard to the use a drain in the subhepatic space. All patients admitted to the surgical Department of "SOTIRIA" General Hospital of Athens. Of the 94 patients randomized into groups, 54 (57%) per cent were women and 40 (42,6%) per cent were men. The age of the patients ranged from 26-77 years (mean 55.3). The gall-bladder was removed, as a rule in a tetrograde direction, and the gallbladder bed was sewn with vicryl or cat-gut chromic in 82 cases. 80 patients were drained and 14 patients were not drained. The postoperative course of temperature the duration of hospital stay, the postoperative morbidity, the fluid of the sabhepatic space, studied. The subhepatic fluid collections detected by ultrasound 24,48 hours and 8 days after cholocystectomy. There were no obvious by significant differences between drained and undrained patients. This study suggests that surgical drainage after every uncomplicated cholecystectomy is unnecessary.References
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