Open and closed suction drainage after hepatic resection

A retrospective study was conducted to compare open conduit drains with closed suction drains, with regard to the occurrence of intraperitoneal septic complications after hepatectomy (IPSCH). The subjects comprised 50 consecutive Japanese patients who underwent hepatic resection followed by the insertion of a closed suction drain and the control group comprised 50 patients in whom a simple conduit drain had been placed following liver surgery. There were no significant differences between the two groups in sex, age, underlying liver disease, or the type of hepatectomy performed; nor was there a significant difference in the incidence of IPSCH, the simple conduit drain group versus the closed suction drain group being (10% versus 8%, respectively). However, bile leakage was highly related to IPSCH, the incidence being 60% and 100% in the simple conduit drain and closed suction drain groups, respectively. Thus, to prevent IPSCH, the treatment of bile leakage is a much more important factor than the type of drain used.