Could post-thyroidectomy bleeding be the clue to modify the concept of postoperative drainage? A prospective randomized controlled study

• Main Authors: Ali S. Al-Qahtani, Tarek Abouzeid Osman
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier 2018-09-01
• Series: Asian Journal of Surgery
• Online Access: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S101595841730369X

Summary: Background/Objective: To unveil the real effect of surgical drains on the outcomes of thyroidectomy for benign thyroid disorders. Methods: A prospective randomized study was conducted at Abha Private Hospital, Saudi Arabia on 108 patients suffered from benign thyroid disorders undergoing elective thyroidectomy from 1 August 2015 to 28 February 2017. Patients were allocated randomly into drainage group (A) and non-drainage group (B). The demographic data, operation (type and duration), postoperative complications, histopathological results and length of stay were assessed, documented and statistically verified to check its significance. Results: A total of 108 patients were enrolled in the study; 94 females and 14 males with mean age of 38.02 years, two patients developed hematoma (1.85%); one in each group and another two patients had seroma with no significant difference between both groups, the mean length of stay was significantly higher in group (A) (p = 0.001). Conclusion: This prospective study verified that routine drainage adds no significant advantage in the prevention of post-thyroidectomy bleeding, but it prolongs hospitalization. This aids in changing the concept from the “wide” use of drains into the “wise” use in selected patients with risk factors of bleeding. Keywords: Thyroid, Thyroidectomy, Post thyroidectomy bleeding, Surgical drains