A complete guide to surgical drains

Surgical drains of different kinds have been used in various operations for many years, with the best intentions. Despite many years of surgery, it is frequently questioned whether they achieve their intended purpose of the surgical drains.

What is a surgical drain?

Small plastic tubes are used by surgeons to drain fluid after an operation. Or, in the case of operation on the lungs or chest, air might gather up and squash the lungs.

The surgeon inserts during the procedure and then leaves poking out of the skin, attached to a small bag. It attaches to a clear plastic bag which collects any fluid or air which has drained away from the area where the operation was performed.

Indications

Surgical drains used in a wide variety of different types of surgery. In general, the goal is to drain either fluid or air from the surgical site. Here are some examples:

• To keep fluid from accumulating
• To keep air from accumulating
• To characterize fluid

Types of a surgical drain

• Open or closed
  • Fluid is drained from open drains onto a gauze pad and then into a stoma bag. They will almost certainly lead to infections.
  • Tubes draining it into a bag or bottle from closed drains. In general, infection risk reduced.
• Active or passive
  • The suction used to keep active drains active.
  • Passive drains do not use suction and instead work by measuring the pressure difference between the inside and outside of the body.
• Silastic or rubber
  • Silastic drains are nert and have a low inflammatory response.
  • Red rubber drains can cause a strong tissue reaction, which can lead to the formation of a tract.

Drawbacks

• Whether surgical drains are required is a point of contention among surgeons.
• The majority of the time, they aren’t painful.
• They can keep the patient in the hospital for a longer time.
• Sometimes prevent the patient from moving around.
• If left in for too long, they can be difficult to remove, and it may leave a narrow tract that takes a long time to heal.

Surgical drains can be connected to a wall, a portable suction device, or allowed to drain naturally. It’s critical to keep track on the volume of drainage and the contents to ensure proper healing and avoid excessive bleeding. A patient’s drain may be in place for one day to weeks, based on the quantity of drainage. Protective dressings will be applied to drains and changed daily.