Purpose: We conducted a prospective, randomized study to evaluate the necessity of drainage after thyroid surgery.
Methods: The patients (n = 215) were randomly assigned to be treated with suction drains (group 1; n = 108) or not (group 2; n = 107).
Results: The postoperative pain scores were significantly lower in the non-drained group than in the drained group of patients at postoperative days 0 and at 1. Hematomas, seromas, wound infections, transient biochemical hypoparathyroidism, and transient damage of the recurrent laryngeal nerve occurred more frequently in the drained group than in the non-drained group. The mean hospital stay was significantly shorter in the non-drained group than in the drained group.
Conclusions: Routine drain emplacement after thyroidectomy is unnecessary.
Keywords: Complications; Drainage; Hematoma; Seroma; Thyroidectomy.
© 2017 S. Karger AG, Basel.