The Utility of Prophylactic Drainage Following Pancreaticoduodenectomy

This study is designed to investigate whether patients who are not drained prophylactically following pancreaticoduodenectomy have rates of complication that are less than or no different from rates of complication for patients who are selectively drained prophylactically following pancreaticoduodenectomy. An additional aim is to compare the overall rates of complication for all patients in this study to the rates of complication following pancreaticoduodenectomy with prophylactic drainage reported in the literature, to determine if non-routine drainage of patients following pancreaticoduodenectomy compromises patient outcome. One hundred six consecutive patients who underwent pancreaticoduodenectomy were included in this study. The first 53 patients were selectively drained following surgery and comprise Group I. The second consecutive 53 patients were not drained following pancreaticoduodenectomy and comprise Group II. Demographic, operative and pathologic factors as well as rates of complication were analyzed. The results show no statistically significant difference between the rates of complication after pancreaticoduodenectomy without prophylactic drainage and the rates of complication after pancreaticoduodenectomy with selective prophylactic drainage. In addition, overall rates of complication after pancreaticoduodenectomy in this study are not greater than rates of complication following pancreaticoduodenectomy with prophylactic drainage reported in the literature. These findings suggest non-routine drainage of patients following pancreaticoduodenectomy does not compromise patient outcome and provide further support for the practice of omitting prophylactic drains following pancreaticoduodenectomy