Usefulness of Prophylactic Drainage in Laparoscopic Surgery for Perforated Gastroduodenal Ulcer

Abstract

Background：Although prophylactic drainage after surgery for peritonitis has been reported to have little efficacy, surgeons in Japan have conventionally undertaken it. We carried out this study to investigate the usefulness of prophylactic drainage insertion following laparoscopic surgery for perforated gastroduodenal ulcer. Method: Between January 2010 and September 2014, 49 patients underwent laparoscopic surgery for perforated gastroduodenal ulcer at our hospital. A postoperative drain was inserted in 24 patients (group D), while it was not in the remaining 25 (group ND). We compared patient characteristics and postoperative outcomes between the two groups. Results：There were no significant intergroup differences in the patient characteristics. However, the average postoperative hospital stay duration was significantly shorter in group ND (9.6±2.9 days) than in group D (12.4±5 days; p=0.02). Furthermore, there were no significant intergroup differences in the incidence of postoperative complications (group D: 3 cases, group ND: 0 cases). Conclusion: The results of this study indicate that there is no need for prophylactic drainage following laparoscopic surgery for perforated gastroduodenal ulcer.