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J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 2006;132:27-31
© 2006 The American Association for Thoracic Surgery
Surgery for Acquired Cardiovascular Disease |
Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Ankara University, School of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey.
Received for publication October 25, 2005; revisions received December 30, 2005; accepted for publication January 13, 2006. * Address for reprints: Ozan Emiroglu, MD, Ankara University, School of Medicine, Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Cebeci Kalp Merkezi, Dikimevi, 06620 Ankara, Turkey. (Email: ozanemiroglu{at}mail.com).
| Abstract |
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METHODS: One hundred forty patients who underwent ascending aortic surgery were prospectively randomized into group A and group B. In group A (n = 70) we used a 32F drain placed anteriorly overlying the heart and a 16F thin drain placed retrocardially. In group B (n = 70) only a 32F drain placed anteriorly was used. In group A we removed the large drain on the first postoperative day and continued drainage with the thin drain until the drainage was less than 50 mL in a 24-hour period. In group B we removed the drain after the first postoperative day when the drainage was less than 50 mL in an 8-hour period. Preoperative, perioperative, and postoperative parameters of the patients were compared.
RESULTS: No significant posterior pericardial effusion and late cardiac tamponade developed in patients in group A. In group B 10 (14.3%) patients experienced significant posterior pericardial effusion and 4 (5.7%) patients experienced late cardiac tamponade; the incidence of significant pericardial effusion in group B was significantly higher (P = .001). Postoperative new-onset atrial fibrillation developed in 6 (10.4%) patients in group A and in 18 (32.7%) patients in group B (P = .03).
CONCLUSIONS: We demonstrated that effective posterior drainage is important to prevent posterior pericardial effusion, and use of a thin drain placed retrocardially appears to be sufficient for these results.
| Introduction |
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Although the problem in postoperative pericardial effusion in coronary artery bypass grafting or valve surgery had been solved, after ascending aortic surgery, it is still a problematic issue. We describe a method for mediastinal drainage after ascending aortic surgery involving the opportunity to remove the mediastinal large drain on the first postoperative day to minimize the anticipated complications and continue effective drainage with a thin closed-suction drain system to prevent posterior pericardial effusion.
| Materials and Methods |
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In group A we used a 32F large conventional drain placed retrosternally in the anterior mediastinum overlying the heart and a 16F thin closed-suction drain system (Redon drain system) placed toward the posterior pericardial cavity along the left ventricle in the retrocardiac cavity. In group B, as a control group, we used only a 32F large conventional drain, which was placed anteriorly overlying the heart. Drains were placed in the mediastinum through a small incision several centimeters inferior to the lower pole of the median sternotomy wound. If one of the pleural spaces was opened, a third drain, sized 28F, was placed from the lateral thorax site into the pleural space.
In group A we removed the large drain on the first postoperative day and continued drainage with the thin drain that was placed retrocardially until the drainage was less than 50 mL in a 24-hour period to prevent late posterior pericardial effusion and cardiac tamponade. In group B we removed the drain after the first postoperative day when the drainage was less than 50 mL in an 8-hour period. Drain outputs were recorded hourly for the first 2 days and daily for the following days. No data were recorded from pleural space drains because we removed them as soon as the chest radiographs showed no signs of pneumothorax on postoperative day 1.
Groups were compared for preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative characteristics; drainage in the first 24 hours; total amount of drainage; time of drain removal after the operation; length of postoperative stay; incidence of postoperative pericardial effusion; cardiac tamponade; re-exploration; and drain-associated infection. Moreover, on the morning of postoperative days 1, 2, and 3, patients were asked by nurses whether they had any complaints about their drains, and they were asked to simply answer as "no," "little," "moderate," or "severe." Patients for whom the drains were removed had their answers recorded as "no discomfort."
The efficacy of drains in both groups was determined with chest radiography and 2-dimensional transthoracic echocardiography. The same echocardiographer, who was not informed about the study, performed echocardiographic examinations. In-hospital chest radiographs were routinely performed on the first and second postoperative days and subsequently if dictated by the individual patient's symptoms. Echocardiography of the pericardium was routinely performed on postoperative days 1 and 7 to measure the size and type of pericardial effusions. A pericardial effusion is classified as anterior, posterior, or circumferential, and those with a size equal to or larger than 10 mm were considered significant. In the evaluations pericardial effusion or cardiac tamponade that developed in the first postoperative week was defined as "early," and that developing after the first postoperative week was defined as "late." Patients with pericardial effusion (5-10 mm) on postoperative day 7, chest radiography with signs or clinical suspicions of late pericardial effusion, or cardiac tamponade after the first postoperative week were re-evaluated with echocardiography.
Characteristics are described as means and standard deviations (SDs) or as percentages. Nominal variables were analyzed by using
2 or Fisher exact tests, where applicable. Comparisons between groups for normally distributed continuous variables were evaluated by using the Student t test. The Mann-Whitney U test was used for ordinal variables to compare groups.
| Results |
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We removed the large drains after 17.9 ± 2.6 hours in group A and 52.1 ± 11.5 hours in group B (P < .001). The mean ± SD mediastinal drainage values in the first 24 hours in groups A and B were 539.2 ± 144.2 and 527.8 ± 131.1 mL, respectively (P = .326). There were 14 patients in group A and 10 patients in group B with pleural space drains (20% vs 14.3%, P = .370), and we removed them after 20.3 ± 5.1 hours in group A and 19.1 ± 4.8 hours in group B (P = .08). Parameters of drains are summarized in Table 2.
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2 tests on postoperative days 1, 2, and 3, the results were P values of less than .001, less than .001 and less than .001, respectively. On postoperative days 1 and 2, the patient's discomfort levels were significantly lower in group A.
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| Discussion |
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In this study we removed the large drains on postoperative day 1 to prevent the anticipated large drain complications and continued draining with a thin drain, with the idea to drain the posterior of the heart completely once the patient has been mobilized and to prevent late posterior pericardial effusion and cardiac tamponade. The main reason to place the thin drain retrocardially is to prevent pericardial effusion that is often loculated at the posterior of the left ventricular wall. The pericardial effusion loculated anterior of the heart is easily drained from a chest drain placed anteriorly. However, because pericardial adhesions are frequently observed in between the inferior-posterior surface of the heart and the diaphragm, they might cause an enclosed gap and make drainage difficult. The results reported in our study demonstrate that continuing drainage with thin closed-suction drain systems are effective for draining the posterior of the heart, thus preventing posterior pericardial effusion in patients undergoing ascending aortic surgery.
The uses of thin drains in the chest drainage have been reported before. The experience to date suggests that the use of thin drains is as effective as the use of large drains.
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Our results have shown that there is no increased risk of bleeding, cardiac tamponade, or infection associated with the use of a thin closed-suction drain system. We analyzed our results to determine whether there would be undesirable results like arrhythmia caused by cardiac irritation after placing the thin drain in the retrocardiac cavity. However, interestingly, we found out that in group A, with a thin drain, the incidence of new-onset postoperative arrhythmias was significantly lower than that in group B. Angelini and coworkers
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presented refractory (to medication and cardioversion) postoperative arrhythmias caused by pericardial effusion after cardiac surgery that responded well to the evacuation of the effusion and a consequent sinus rhythm. Previous efforts have been done to reduce the incidence of postoperative posterior pericardial effusion and therefore postoperative arrhythmias.
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In our study the incidence of postoperative pericardial effusion was lower in group A, and this is probably why we observed a lower incidence of postoperative new-onset atrial fibrillation in this group. However, as in this study, our primary goal was not to investigate postoperative arrhythmias. Further studies should be performed, and we believe that this study will be a pioneer for future similar studies.
It is difficult to evaluate scientifically the level of discomfort felt by patients, and it cannot provide accurate information on patients' actual complaints. Furthermore, patients' perceptions of outcome are important, and we must give attention to any complaints about drains. Large drains are painful, and in aortic root surgery, prolonged drainage is frequently unavoidable. By our own observations, removing the large drains and continuing drainage with the thin drain after postoperative day 1 is much more comfortable and appears to permit earlier ambulation, resulting in improved pulmonary toilet.
One of the limitations of the study is that the doctors, nurses, and (although she was not informed about the study) the echocardiographer were not blinded to the type of drain method used.
We demonstrated that effective posterior drainage is important in ascending aortic surgery, and it reduces not only the high incidence of late significant pericardial effusion but also might reduce early pericardial effusion and related postoperative arrhythmias. We also demonstrated that use of a thin closed-suction drain placed retrocardially is simple and safe and appears to be sufficient for posterior drainage.
| Acknowledgments |
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| References |
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