[Simple cholecystectomy without drainage. A dilemma?]

A retrospective study was carried out to show the uselessness of the routine employment of the drainage after simple cholecystectomy. 1425 patients underwent cholecystectomy because for cholelithiasis; of these 164 (13%) were drained because of adhesions, concomitant pancreatitis, inadvertent damage, empiema, gangrena and perforation of the gallbladder. In no case of the 1261 patients without drainage it has been possible to demonstrate the presence of one of those complications for which the use of a drainage after simple cholecystectomy is commonly advised.