Drainage in cholecystectomy: Required or not? A comparative randomized study in northern Indian subjects

Abstract

Background: Routine abdominal drainage after laparoscopic cholecystectomy is an issue of considerable debate in surgical fraternity. So a comparative study was planned as an effort to solve the controversy regarding the need of drainage in cholecystectomy. Aim: The aim of the study was to evaluate merits and demerits of drainage vs nondrainage in patients undergone cholecystectomy. Materials and methods: Study was carried out in the Department of General Surgery, MM Institute of Medical Sciences and Research between June 2009 and October 2011 on 40 cases of symptomatic gall stone disease. Cases were divided randomly into two equal groups. Group A containing 20 cases with drain placed and group B containing 20 cases without drainage. Subjects were observed for postoperative morbidity in the form of pain-incidence and severity, duration of postoperative hospital stay, analgesia requirement, postoperative nausea, vomiting and antiemetics required. Results: Mean operative time in groups A and B was 93 and 86 minutes respectively. Gallbladder rupture was most common complication encountered in both the groups. At 12th postoperative hour, 90% of patients of group A and 95% of patients of group B had pain in abdomen. Conclusion: We found no significant advantage of using drainage after laparoscopic cholecystectomy, as there was higher incidence of postoperative pain and longer duration of hospital stay with its use. Therefore, its routine use cannot be recommended as a means to reducing postoperative morbidity.