Comparison of intra-wound drainage tubes after cardiac surgery: Blake drains versus Multichannel drains.

Background: Blake and Multichannel drains have been used in our department. Although both are made up of silicone, they differ in structure. We investigated the drainage effects of these two types of drains and the factors related to their occlusion.

Methods: We enrolled 100 consecutive cases (50 using Blake drains and 50 using Multichannel drains) of cardiovascular surgery performed in our department from July 2017 to April 2018. The formation of thrombi in the groove and tube of the drains was evaluated in each case. The tube portion was checked for the presence of occlusion, and the groove portion was examined for the number and ratio of thrombi formed in the grooves.

Results: The clot formation rate in the groove part was slightly higher in the Multichannel cases than in the Blake cases. In addition, analysis within the Multichannel cases revealed that the thrombus formation rate between the catheter lumen and the three grooves (without the catheter lumen) was significantly different, with the highest groove clot formation rate occurring in the catheter lumen. Out of 34 cases of occlusions, there were 26 cases (52%) of Multichannel drains, and only 8 cases (16%) of Blake drains ( < 0.01). A multiple logistic regression analysis revealed that the most important contributory factor in tube obstruction was the drain type.

Conclusions: The catheter lumen of the Multichannel drain was more susceptible to thrombus formation than the groove. The tube part of the Multichannel drain was more prone to occlusion than that of the Blake drain.