The current status of peritoneal drainage.

It is hard to get physicians to give up their professional beliefs and alter their clinical practice. With simple cholecystectomy, the message must be a compromise: drainage is not necessary in most cases; but if one must use a drain, it must be the suction type, and removed within 48 hours. Peritoneal drainage may be used selectively after laparotomy for generalised peritonitis, but can be safely omitted after appendicectomy, colonic anastomosis, and splenectomy.