Clinical Impact of Routine Abdominal Drainage After Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy. A Prospective Randomized Study

The patients were randomized into two groups using enclosed envelope. Group (A) with drain included 50 patients, and group (B) without drain included 50 patients.

Under general anesthesia, and same antibiotics (3rd generation cephalosporin) Surgery was performed using conventional four ports umbilical port, port below xiphoid and two ports below right costal margin. Pneumoperitonum at pressure 12 mmHg. In group A nelton catheter (no 20) was inserted at the end of operation.

The Intraoperative parameter observed included duration of the operation, amount of CO2 used in the operation, bile escape, saline irrigation during operation and volume of blood loss were recorded.

The patients started oral feeding 8 hours (h) postoperatively; abdominal ultrasound was done for all patients in both groups on day of discharge to show any collection or free fluid in the abdomen. The patients were usually discharged after removal of drain, and when the patient surgically free.

Postoperative pain was evaluated at 6 h, 24 h, 48, 1 week after operation using a visual analog scale (VAS) with which each patients noted the severity of pain at each evaluated time using a linear between zero (no pain) and 10 (severe pain). Postoperative analgesia in the form of non steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) was administered intramuscularly when required. If the patients still complained of pain and required strong analgesic, (1 mg/kg pethidine intramuscularly) was administered. The total dose of these medications were recorded.