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 .
Elective cholecystectomy without drainage and without prophylactic antibiotics. A prospective randomized trial with clinical and bacteriological aspects.
A consecutive series of 50 patients undergoing elective cholecystectomy without prophylactic antibiotics  entered a prospect i ve r and omized trial to compare the post-operative clinical course whether the subhepatic space was drained or not . 26 patients ( mean age 58 yrs ) were drained and 24 patients ( mean age 59 yrs ) were not . The incidence of positive gallbladder bile cultures were respectively 8 and 19 % ( N.S. ) in the drained and undrained groups . The incidence of post-operative mortality , thrombo-phlebitis and intra-abdominal sepsis was zero in both groups . In the drained or undrained series , the incidence of wound infection was respectively 4 % and 0 % ( N.S. ) , that of urinary infection was 8 % and 13 % ( N.S. ) and that of pulmonary atelectasis was 15 and 17 % ( N.S. ) . A further consecutive series of 100 undrained elective cholecystectomies ( 18 % positive bile cultures ) without prophylactic antibiotics was then performed with the same uneventful postoperative course . This study therefore indicates that even in the presence of bacterobilia elective cholecystectomy can be safely performed without subhepatic space drainage and without prophylactic antibiotics
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 .