Use of small-bore silastic drains in general thoracic surgery.

STUDY OBJECTIVE To evaluate the safety and efficacy of small-bore, silastic drains for patients undergoing general thoracic surgery. PATIENTS AND METHODS Twenty-five patients who received soft, small-bore, silastic drains were compared with 17 patients who received semi-rigid double lumen (DL) tubes retrospectively. RESULTS The pain score was significantly lower in patients who received the silastic tubes in video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) cases on postoperative days 5 and 6 , after continuous epidural analgesia had finished (P=0.018). No specific morbidity was seen in the patients who received silastic tubes. CONCLUSION We considered that soft, small-bore silastic drains were just as effective as traditional DL tubes, but caused less pain especially in VATS cases.