Is a Drain Necessary Routinely After Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy for an Acutely Inflamed Gallbladder? A Retrospective Analysis of 457 Cases

Background During laparoscopic surgery for an acutely inflamed gallbladder, most surgeons routinely insert a drain. However, no consensus has been reached regarding the need for drainage in these cases, and the use of a drain remains controversial. Methods This retrospective study divided 457 cases into two groups according to whether or not a drain was inserted and reviewed the surgical outcomes and perioperative morbidity. Results In this study, 231 patients had no drains and 226 had drains. Both groups were comparable in terms of pathology, demographics, and operative details. There was no statistical difference in operating time, visual analog scale for pain, or postoperative hospital stay. Morbidity occurred in 49 cases (10.7 %) and did not differ significantly between the two groups. No mortality occurred in this study. Conclusions The routine use of a drain after laparoscopic cholecystectomy for an acutely inflamed gallbladder had no effect on the postoperative morbidity. Therefore, this retrospective study supports that it is feasible not to insert a drain routinely in laparoscopic cholecystectomy for patients who have an acutely inflamed gallbladder.