Postoperative closed chest drainage without an underwater seal: a preliminary report

The Aldon's urobag (e.g. simpla S4) which consists of a 2 litre plastic bag with a flutter valve and a drainage tube has been used in 29 consecutive cases as a postoperative pleural drainage system. The age range of patients was between 2 months and 74 years (mean 26.7 years). Indications for pleural drainage included lobectomy (3 cases), decortication (2 cases), lung biopsy (2 cases). Blalock-Taussig shunt (5 cases), patent ductus arteriosus patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) ligation (1 case), closed mitral valvotomy (1 case), oesophageal surgery (13 cases) and chest wall resection (2 cases). The period of pleural drainage ranged from 1 to 8 days (mean 3.75 days). The only operative death was not related to drainage system. No complications were attributable to the drainage system. This alternative chest drainage was found to enhance early ambulation, increase the efficiency of patient nursing and reduced the cost of consumables.