ArticleGlobal spine journal2023
Is Routine Use of Drain Really Necessary for Posterior Lumbar Interbody Fusion Surgery? A Retrospective Case Series with a Historical Control Group.
Article in Global spine journal, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 7 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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Who cites it
7 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 14 citations in OpenAlex.
- The utility of surgical drains in adult and pediatric posterior spinal fusion: systematic review and meta-analysis.Neurosurgical review · 2024Pooled it
- Delayed postoperative spinal epidural hematoma after one-hole split endoscope discectomy: a case report and literature review.Frontiers in surgery · 2026Article
- Clinical Characteristics of Patients Undergoing D2 Gastrectomy with Bursectomy in Gastric Cancer Patients: An Observational Study.JNMA; journal of the Nepal Medical Association · 2025Observational
- Surgeon Preferences Worldwide in Wound Drain Utilization in Open Lumbar Fusion Surgery for Degenerative Pathologies.Global spine journal · 2025Article
- Prevention and Management of Posterior Wound Complications Following Oncologic Spine Surgery: Narrative Review of Available Evidence and Proposed Clinical Decision-Making Algorithm.Global spine journal · 2025Article
- Article
- Effect of Drain Duration and Output on Perioperative Outcomes and Readmissions after Lumbar Spine Surgery.Asian spine journal · 2023Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
7 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
STUDY
designA retrospective case-control study.
objectivesThe usefulness of a drain in spinal surgery has always been controversial. The purposes of this study were to determine the incidence of hematoma-related complications after posterior lumbar interbody fusion (PLIF) without a drain and to evaluate its usefulness.
methodsWe included 347 consecutive patients with degenerative lumbar disease who underwent single- or double-level PLIF. The participants were divided into 2 groups by the use of a drain or not; drain group and no-drain group.
resultsIn 165 cases of PLIF without drain, there was neither a newly developed neurological deficit due to hematoma nor reoperation for hematoma evacuation. In the no-drain group, there were 5 (3.0%) patients who suffered from surgical site infection (SSI), all superficial, and 17 (10.3%) patients who complained of postoperative transient recurred leg pain, all treated conservatively. Days from surgery to ambulation and length of hospital stay (LOS) of the no-drain group were faster than those of the drain group (
conclusionsNo hematoma-related neurological deficits or reoperations caused by epidural hematoma and SSI were observed in the no-drain group. The no-drain group did not show significantly more frequent postoperative complications than the drain use group, hence the routine insertion of a drain following PLIF should be reconsidered carefully.
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