"Early Versus Routine Drain Removal After Live Liver Donor Hepatectomy- a Randomized Controlled, Open Label, Pilot Study".

• Prophylactic abdominal drainage after donor right hepatectomy for LDLT has been a common or even mandatory practice in most transplant centres.
• This serves to monitor the occurrence of postoperative intraabdominal bleeding and is used for the detection and drainage of any bile leakage.
• Below table mentions both advantages and disadvantages of prophylactic drain placement after hepatectomy.

Advantages

1. Early detection of haemorrhage

2. Early detection of bile leak

3. Early reintervention Disadvantages

4. Increased rates of intraabdominal and wound infection, 2. Increased abdominal pain, 3. Decreased pulmonary function, 4. Prolonged hospital stay, 5. Bowel injury.

• Our study in ILBS for ALF donors, the overall complication rate was 20% as per Clavien-Dindo classification, of which a majority (15.9%) had grade 1 or 2 complications. Major complications (3b and above) were seen in 4 (1.0%) patients. Biliary complications were noted in 1.7% only.
• In a study by Japanese group concluded that 3 × 3 rule is clinically feasible and allows for the early removal of the drain tube with minimum infection risk after liver resection. The ''3 x 3 rule'': the drain will be removed when the drain fluid bilirubin concentration is <3 mg/dl on day 3 after operation.
• In our institute we remove drain routinely, when output is less than 100ml and serous. That is usually on postoperative day 5-7.
• There is no randomized control trail done in donor hepatectomy comparing early versus standard drain removal.