The placement of intraoperative drains following spinal procedure was not statistically significant in the incidence or risk for postoperative wound complications, including hematomas or surgical site infections (SSIs), according to study results published in International Wound Journal.
Investigators conducted a meta-analysis from a literature review of 5 randomized controlled trials performed between 1996 and 2023 in America, Chile, China, and Japan. Patients undergoing single- or double-level spinal procedure with (n=410) or without (n=402) drainage channels were included. The investigators used randomized or fixed models to compare drain intervention risks and benefits.
Patients undergoing vertebral column spinal procedures were included in the analysis. Duplicated research, case reports, and procedures without drain placement data were excluded.
Among patients who underwent their procedure with and without intraoperative drains, there was no statistical difference in wound infection incidence (odds ratio [OR], 2.29; 95% CI, 0.50-10.41; P =.28), overall wound complications (OR, 1.79; 95% CI, 0.58-5.56; P =.31), postoperative hematomas (OR, 1.20; 95% CI, 0.27-5.28; P =.81), postoperative visual analogue scale scores (mean difference [MD], -0.01; 95% CI, -1.34 to 1.33; P =.99), or procedure duration (MD, 0.41; 95% CI, -0.36-1.17; P =.30).
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Study limitations include the exclusion of review meta-analyses, limited data regarding patient age or sex, a small review population, risks for study bias, and inclusion of incomplete or unpublished research.
The investigators concluded, “These findings indicate that the placement of drainage channels in the spine is not a decisive factor for the occurrence of complications from SSI.”
Reference
Zhan B, Fang S, Lv X, Xie X, Wang X. Effect of drain placement in short-level spinal surgery on postoperative wound infection: a meta-analysis. Int Wound J. Published online December 1, 2023. doi:10.1111/iwj.14508
This article originally appeared on Dermatology Advisor
