Retromuscular drain versus no drain in robotic retromuscular ventral hernia repair: a propensity score-matched analysis of the abdominal core health quality collaborative

• Published in: Hernia : the journal of hernias and abdominal wall surgery 2023-04, Vol.27 (2), p.409-413
• Main Authors: Miller, B. T., Tamer, R., Petro, C. C., Krpata, D. M., Rosen, M. J., Prabhu, A. S., Beffa, L. R. A.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Abdominal Surgery; Collaboration; Hernia; Hernia, Ventral - surgery; Hernias; Herniorrhaphy - methods; Humans; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Morbidity; Original Article; Propensity Score; Retrospective Studies; Robotic Surgical Procedures - methods; Robotics; Seroma; Surgical drains; Surgical Mesh; Surgical site infections; Wound healing
• ISSN: 1248-9204; 1265-4906; 1248-9204
• DOI: 10.1007/s10029-022-02696-6

Background Drains may be placed during robotic retromuscular ventral hernia repair (rVHR) to decrease wound morbidity, but their use is controversial. We aimed to assess the impact of retromuscular drain placement on wound morbidity after robotic rVHR. Methods Patients with and without drains after robotic rVHR in the Abdominal Core Health Quality Collaborative (ACHQC) registry were compared using a propensity score-matched analysis. Outcomes included surgical site occurrences (SSO), surgical site infections (SSI), and surgical site occurrences requiring procedural interventions (SSOPI) at 30 days. Results Propensity score matching compared 580 patients with drains to 580 without drains. The groups were well matched with respect to hernia width (drain: 8.0 cm [IQR 6.0; 10.0] vs no drain: 8.0 cm [IQR 5.0; 10.0]; P  = 0.399) and transversus abdominis release (drain: 409 (70.5%) vs no drain: 408 (70.3%); P  = 0.949). At 30 days, patients with drains had fewer seromas than those without drains (22 (3.8%) vs 88 (15.2%); P