Usefulness of a negative suction drain for reducing postoperative swelling in a blowout fracture

To identify whether a negative suction drain is more effective than a Penrose drain in the decrease of postoperative swelling from a blowout fracture.

This was a retrospective study of patients who underwent surgical treatment for isolated orbital floor fracture. The population was categorized into 2 groups: one with a Penrose drain and the other with a negative suction drain in the surgical site. To evaluate the degree of swelling, the interlid length was measured. The predictor variable was the type of drain used. The outcome variable was the interlid length at postoperative days 1, 3, 5, and 7. The other study variables were patient characteristics, type of injury, time from injury to surgery, and operative duration. Bivariate, multivariate, and Pearson correlation analyses were used to assess the relation of the postoperative interlid length with the other study variables listed earlier. A generalized linear model was used to determine the relation between the type of drain and the postoperative interlid length.

Ninety-five patients (45 patients received a Penrose drain and 50 patients received suction drainage) were included for the study. The postoperative interlid length was unrelated to the other study variables (P > .05). The suction drain group had a significantly longer interlid length than the Penrose drain group at every postoperative interval (P < .05).

The use of closed vacuum drainage in blowout fractures is more effective in the decrease of postoperative swelling than the use of a conventional Penrose drain.