We found no significant differences between different types of drains .
Drains increase the harms to the patient without providing any additional benefit for patients undergoing open cholecystectomy and should be avoided in open cholecystectomy
BACKGROUND Cholecystectomy is the removal of gallbladder and is performed mainly for symptomatic gallstones .
Although laparoscopic cholecystectomy is currently preferred over open cholecystectomy for elective cholecystectomy , reports of r and omised clinical trials comparing the choice of cholecystectomy ( open or laparoscopic ) in acute cholecystitis are still being conducted .
Drainage in open cholecystectomy is a matter of considerable debate .
Surgeons use drains primarily to prevent subhepatic abscess or bile peritonitis from an undrained bile leak .
Critics of drain condemn drain use as it increases wound and chest infection .
OBJECTIVES To assess the benefits and harms of routine abdominal drainage in uncomplicated open cholecystectomy .
[Routine drainage following uncomplicated, elective cholecystectomy? A prospective, randomized study].
A prospect i ve r and omized and controlled study of prophylactic drainage after simple , elective cholecystectomy was carried out . From March 1988 to June 1991 80 patients received an Easy-Flow drain and 80 did not .  Operation and perioperative management were st and ardized . The endpoint of the study was postoperative morbidity , especially postoperative pyrexia and subhepatic fluid collection . The latter was identified by ultrasonography performed daily on postoperative day 1 - 4 . No patient died . The morbidity including postoperative pyrexia revealed no difference between drained and undrained patients . In 19 of the patients with ( 23.8 % ) and in 25 of the patients without drainage ( 31.3 % ) a subhepatic fluid collection could be demonstrated by ultrasonography . This difference was not statistically significant either . We conclude that prophylactic drainage after elective , simple cholecystectomy is of no use for the patient . As subhepatic fluid collection s can be seen in drained as well as in undrained patients it has to be accepted that drainage does not guarantee the removal of subhepatic fluid . Therefore its indicatory function ( bleeding ) and the ability to prevent the patient having biliary peritonitis or local abscess has to be put in doubt
We found no significant differences between different types of drains .
Drains increase the harms to the patient without providing any additional benefit for patients undergoing open cholecystectomy and should be avoided in open cholecystectomy
BACKGROUND Cholecystectomy is the removal of gallbladder and is performed mainly for symptomatic gallstones .
Although laparoscopic cholecystectomy is currently preferred over open cholecystectomy for elective cholecystectomy , reports of r and omised clinical trials comparing the choice of cholecystectomy ( open or laparoscopic ) in acute cholecystitis are still being conducted .
Drainage in open cholecystectomy is a matter of considerable debate .
Surgeons use drains primarily to prevent subhepatic abscess or bile peritonitis from an undrained bile leak .
Critics of drain condemn drain use as it increases wound and chest infection .
OBJECTIVES To assess the benefits and harms of routine abdominal drainage in uncomplicated open cholecystectomy .