Cholecystectomy with and without drainage: a prospective randomised study.

The use of subhepatic intraperitoneal drains was prospectively studied in 100 patients who underwent elective cholecystectomy for symptomatic gallstones. These patients were randomised to have subhepatic drains (group A, n = 50 patients) or to have no drains (group B, n = 50 patients). There was no difference in the age or sex composition of the two groups. The patients were followed in the post-operative period (0-7 days) for evidence of fever, wound infection, septicaemia and any evidence of intra-peritoneal bile leakage. Also post operative hospital stay of patients was noted. In group A, 14 patients (28%) developed spikes of temperature of 38 degrees C or more while only 5 patients (10%) in group B developed such episodes. The difference was statistically significant between the two groups (P < 0.05). Wound infection occurred significantly more (P < 0.05) in group A (in 15 patients) as compared to group B (in 5 patients). Septicaemia occurred in 2 patients in group A and in none in group B. There was no evidence of intraperitoneal bile leakage in either group. Patients in group A tended to have longer post operative hospital stay (mean of 10.2 days) than patients in group B (mean 8.7 days); but the difference between the two groups in this respect was not significant. We conclude that subhepatic intra-peritoneal drains offered no additional advantage in elective cholecystectomy. The evidence we had pointed to their harmful effects.