The Requirement of Sutures to Close Intercostal Drains Site Wounds in Thoracic Surgery.

Background: Chest drains are used routinely in thoracic surgery. Often a pursestring or mattress suture is used to facilitate closure of the defect on removal of the drain. This stitch can cause an unsightly scar, increase drain removal pain, and necessitate that the patient attend a community health care center to have this removed. The objective of this study was to assess whether this stitch is necessary in modern thoracic surgical practice.

Methods: Data from a single surgeon's practice were collected over an 18-month period. During this time, all patients who underwent both emergency and elective thoracic surgery who had at least one postoperative chest drain of 28F or above inserted were included in the study. The surgeon did not routinely use a suture to close the drain site.

Results: In all, 312 patients underwent thoracic surgery during the 18-month period. Each patient had a range of 1 to 3 drains inserted of a size between 28F and 32F. No patients had drain sutures for closure of the drain site. Four patients had pneumothoraces after drain removal requiring further chest drain insertion. Five patients had superficial drain site infections. A single patient had to have a suture inserted at a local hospital owing to leakage from the drain site.

Conclusions: The use of pursestring sutures in thoracic surgery is an outdated practice that causes not only unsightly scars but is also associated with increased pain. Furthermore, these unnecessary pursestring sutures place a burden on the patient and health care system to have them removed.