Abstract
With the introduction of new surgical instruments for intraoperative haemostasis in thyroid surgery the probability of postoperative haemorrhage has been reduced. Accordingly, attempts have been made to avoid the insertion of drains after thyroidectomies. However, concerns about patient safety and the risks deriving from avoiding the use of drains have turned them into a controversial issue. There is paucity of guidelines relating to the subject. Existing literature up to February 2014 was searched in an effort to propose recommendations for the establishment of guidelines concerning the use or not of drains in thyroid surgery taking into account the most debated issues of rather rare postoperative complications, namely haemorrhage, airway obstruction, respiratory failure and wound infection. Finally, reference is made to the impact on length of stay and cost of this practice.
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Alexiou, K., Konstantinidou, E. & Papagoras, D. The use of drains in thyroid surgery. Hellenic J Surg 87, 97–100 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13126-015-0191-8
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13126-015-0191-8