ArticleAesthetic plastic surgery2024
Drains in Abdominoplasties: The Less the Better?
Article in Aesthetic plastic surgery, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
2 citing papers in PubMed.
- Drainless Lipoabdominoplasty Using Progressive Tension Sutures, Scarpa's Fascia Preservation, and Minimal Cautery in 350 Consecutive Cases.Aesthetic surgery journal. Open forum · 2026Article
- Optimal Use of Drain Tubes for DIEP Flap Breast Reconstruction: Comprehensive Review.Journal of clinical medicine · 2024Review
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
2 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundDrains are traditionally inserted during surgery for reduction of fluid accumulation in the post-operative period. The appearance of drained fluids and their quantity can be early predictors of complications. Over the years, several studies have been conducted in attempt to determine the optimal number of drains that result in low rates of fluid accumulation with minimal impairment of quality of life. PURPOSE: Determine the optimal number of suction drains in abdominoplasty procedures.
methodsRetrospective cohort study, analyzing all abdominoplasty patients operated by a single surgeon. Patients were stratified into 3 groups based on number of drains inserted at the end of the procedure. Rate of complications was compared between the groups and a multivariate logistic regression model was computed for the development of complications.
resultsSeven-hundred and forty three patients were included in the analysis of this study. No drains were inserted in 355 patients (45%), whereas a single drain was inserted in 153 (20.6%) 2 drains in 255 patients (34.4%). Patients for whom a single drain was inserted intra-operatively, experienced at a statistically significant lower rate, surgical site infections (OR = 0.235), hypertrophic scars (OR = 0.326), wound dehiscence (OR = 0.272), as compared to patients with no drains. On the contrary, insertion of single drain was associated with a statistically significant higher risk for development of seroma (OR = 6.276) and the need for revision surgery (OR = 2.452).
conclusionInsertion of a single drain is associated with a lower risk of SSI and wound- dehiscence, but a greater risk for seroma development that requires surgical intervention. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE II: This journal requires that authors assign a level of evidence to each article. For a full description of these Evidence-Based Medicine ratings, please refer to the Table of Contents or the online Instructions to Authors www.springer.com/00266.
Indexed as
Identifiers
39141115What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.