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Drain management after pancreatic resection: state of the art

  • Topics
  • Current status of the randomized controlled trial in pancreatic surgery
  • Published:
Journal of Hepato-Biliary-Pancreatic Sciences

Abstract

Background

Placement of intraperitoneal drain (ID) after abdominal surgery is a common practice. Postoperative pancreatic fistula (POPF), incidence of which ranges from 2% to more than 30%, represents the most common major complication after pancreatic resection. The goal of this paper is to review the state of the art in ID management after pancreatic resection.

Methods

Data from randomized controlled trials (RCT) are reported together with data from our institution in the period before and after the start of the two reported RCTs.

Results

One thousand five hundred eighty patients underwent surgical resection for pancreatic lesions at our institution from 1990 to 2010. The overall rate of POPF was 23% before and 19.5% after (P = 0.24) the performance of the RCTs. Both postoperative morbidity and average in-hospital stay were higher in the period before the RCTs (13.6 ± 11.4 versus 13.4 ± 10.3 days, respectively).

Conclusions

POPF is a complex and multifactorial complication after pancreatic surgery. On the basis of the present results and review of the RCTs, the value of ID and its management after pancreatic surgery remain unclear.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Surgical Department, Pancreas Centre, Hospital of ‘G.B.Rossi’, University of Verona, Piazzale ‘L.A. Scuro’, 37134, Verona, Italy

    Francesco Giovinazzo, Giovanni Butturini, Roberto Salvia, Giuseppe Mascetta, Daniela Monsellato, Giovanni Marchegiani, Paolo Pederzoli & Claudio Bassi

  2. Department of Surgery, General Surgery B, P.Le L.A. Scuro 10, 37134, Verona, Italy

    Claudio Bassi

Authors
  1. Francesco Giovinazzo
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  2. Giovanni Butturini
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  3. Roberto Salvia
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  4. Giuseppe Mascetta
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  5. Daniela Monsellato
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  6. Giovanni Marchegiani
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  7. Paolo Pederzoli
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  8. Claudio Bassi
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Claudio Bassi.

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Giovinazzo, F., Butturini, G., Salvia, R. et al. Drain management after pancreatic resection: state of the art. J Hepatobiliary Pancreat Sci 18, 779–784 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00534-011-0431-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00534-011-0431-4

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