Surgical drains can be safely avoided in lateral neck dissections for papillary thyroid cancer

Abstract Background Drains are widely used in lateral neck dissections (LNDs). Our objective was to compare outcomes of LNDs for papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) with and without drains. Methods One hundred sixty-five LNDs in 129 patients operated on from July 2001 to October 2008 were analyzed retros...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:The American journal of surgery 2010-04, Vol.199 (4), p.485-490
Main Authors: Mekel, Michal, M.D, Stephen, Antonia E., M.D, Gaz, Randall D., M.D, Randolph, Gregory W., M.D, Richer, Sara, M.D, Perry, Zvi H., M.D, Lubitz, Carrie C., M.D, Nehs, Matthew A., M.D, Parangi, Sareh, M.D, Hodin, Richard A., M.D
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adolescent
Adult
Aged
Aged, 80 and over
Biopsy
Breast cancer
Cancer
Cancer surgery
Carcinoma, Papillary - surgery
Child
Cholecystectomy
Classification
Complications
Data analysis
Dissection
Drain
Drainage
Female
Hematoma
Hematoma - etiology
Hematoma - prevention & control
Humans
Intervention
Length of Stay
Lymph nodes
Lymphatic system
Male
Metastasis
Middle Aged
Neck
Neck dissection
Neck Dissection - methods
Papillary
Papillary thyroid cancer
Patients
Retrospective Studies
Seroma - etiology
Seroma - prevention & control
Statistical analysis
Surgeons
Surgery
Surgical drains
Thyroid
Thyroid cancer
Thyroid Neoplasms - surgery
Treatment Outcome
Wounds
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Summary:Abstract Background Drains are widely used in lateral neck dissections (LNDs). Our objective was to compare outcomes of LNDs for papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) with and without drains. Methods One hundred sixty-five LNDs in 129 patients operated on from July 2001 to October 2008 were analyzed retrospectively. LNDs were divided according to the number of excised lymph nodes as follows: group A < median and group B > median. Further categorization was based on the use of a drain. Main outcome measures were wound complications requiring intervention. Results One hundred two LNDs were performed with a drain and 63 without. The overall rate of wound complications was 3%. There was no significant difference in complication rate between the drain and the non-drain group (group A: 1.8% vs 0; group B: 2.2% vs 7.9%, respectively). Conclusions Significant seromas/hematomas are rare complications of LNDs. Patients who undergo LND for PTC without a drain show no significantly increased rate of these complications.
ISSN:0002-9610
1879-1883
DOI:10.1016/j.amjsurg.2009.04.006