omparison of Water Seal and Suction After ulmonary Lobectomy : A Prospective , Randomized rial

p s l w Background. The objective of the present study was to ssess whether placing chest tubes on water seal after ulmonary lobectomy reduced the duration of air leak ompared with suction. Methods. One hundred forty-five patients who underent pulmonary lobectomy for lung cancer and with n air leak on the first postoperative day were prospecively randomly assigned to two groups: in group 1 (72 atients), chest tubes were placed on water seal on the orning of the first postoperative day; in group 2 73 patients), chest tubes were on continuous suction 20 cm H2O). Eighty percent of the patients who underent upper lobectomy had also a pleural tent procedure. reoperative, operative, and postoperative variables were ompared between the groups. Results. The two groups were evenly matched for reoperative and operative characteristics. No statistially significant differences were found between group 1