OUTCOME OF LAPAROSCOPIC CHOLECYSTECTOMY WITH &WITHOUT DRAIN

BACKGROUND: Cholecystitis is common health problem and laparoscopic approach to gallstonedisease is procedure of choice. Intra abdominal drain is used to pervert post operative sub hepaticcollection. However drain insertion may increase pain discomfort and delay in discharge.OBJECTIVE: To assess the benefits and harms of drain use in laparoscopic cholecystectomyMATERIAL AND METHODS: A prospective, single centre, Study conducted on 200 patients in needof laparoscopic cholecystectomy at Rai Medical Complex Sargodha (affiliated with Rai MedicalCollege) from April, 2009 to July 2011. All patients, after preoperative assessment, were operated undergeneral anesthesia. Prophylactic antibiotic, inj. cefuroxime 1.5 gm prior to anesthesia and two furtherdoses at 8 hour interval postoperatively were given in chronic cholecystitis and therapeutic doses, forseven days in acute cholecystitis. Patients having choledocholithiasis and open conversion wereexcluded from the study four port techniques were used for laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Patients weredivided randomly in to two groups, 100 patients in each Group A, without drain and group B with drain.Data was recorded on standardized performa.RESULTS: Out of 200 patients, 18 were male and 182 were female .Age range was 20 years to 90years. 02 patients from group B, having acute cholecystitis, had epigastric port infection on 15thpostoperative day. Drainage was done with uneventful healing. One patient from group A had s/hepaticabscess 03 weeks after surgery. Ultrasonographic guided aspiration was done in OPD with goodrecovery .No mortality, no open conversion and no CBD injury. Thirty patients from group A weredischarged within 24 hours , 3 patients having drain were discharged after 72 hours and all others fromboth groups within 48 hours.04 patients from group B had severe shoulder tip pain and relieved afterremoval of drain.Postoperative pain was significantly higher in patients who had drain placed, median VAS was 5(ranging 1-10) versus 3 in non drained group .Especially removal of drain was a painful procedure.CONCLUSION: Routine use of intra abdominal drain in laparoscopic cholecystectomy is of no benefitbut causes more discomfort to patient except in empyaema gallbladder.KEY WORDS: Laparoscopic cholecystectomy, intra abdominal drain.