Background: Minimizing the postoperative complications
after reduction mammoplasty is an important goal. Our aim
of the study was to compare the complications rate when
using drains versus no drains.
Methods: The study was conducted in the period from
February 2014 to January 2017. We recruited women between
26 to 45 years presenting for reduction mammoplasty with
BMI 28-37. All patients subjected to the same preoperative
preparations. Operative techniques used were inferior pedicle,
superior pedicle, supero-central pedicle and supero-medial
pedicle. The only difference between the two groups of the
study is the use of drains in one group only. The follow-up < br />period was six weeks.
Results: Thirty-one subjects were included in the analysis
of this study. Seventeen allocated to the drain group and 14
to the no-drain group. Both groups are comparable as regard
the age and BMI (p-value >0.05). However, there was a
significant difference between both groups as regard the
previous pregnancy with more gravida in the drain's group.
The time of operation in relation to menstrual cycle was
comparable in both groups (p-value 0.621) as well as the
operative techniques done in both groups (p-value = 0.621).
In the drain groups, the average duration of the drain was
10.29+1.77 days.
The rate of complication was comparable in both groups
(p-value 0.517). The hematoma occurred in two cases, one
case in each group. Infection occurred in two cases in the nodrain
group. Seroma occurred in four cases, two in each group.
However, wound dehiscence in lower T junction occurred
only in one case of the drain group.
Conclusion: To sum up, we conclude that despite the
limited evidence, our study supports the non-use of drains in
reduction mammoplasty. However, a further large-sample
study is recommended to allow a real evidence and quantification
of the risks due to using the drains.