The following is a summary of “Patient-performed at-home surgical drain removal is safe and feasible following hernia repair and abdominal wall reconstruction,” published in the FEBRUARY 2023 issue of Surgery by Bray, et al.

In traditional practice, surgical drains are often considered a relative contraindication to telemedicine-based postoperative care. For a study, researchers sought to assess the safety, feasibility, and outcomes of a pilot program that allowed patients to perform surgical drain removal at home. 

Patients who had surgical drains after discharge participated in a prospective cohort study. Patients who received drains at discharge had the choice of having them removed by a healthcare professional in-clinic or by the patient at home. Analyses and comparisons were made regarding the patient’s demographics, health traits, perioperative measures, and surgical results.

Both groups had comparable demographics, except age (median age of telemedicine-based at-home: 50 vs. in-clinic: 62 years, P = 0.03); there were 68 drain removal contacts in total (at-home: 28%, n = 19; in-clinic: 72%, n = 49). Patients who had their drains removed at home were more likely to have it done sooner (9 days as opposed to 13 days for in-clinic, P< 0.001). While the burden of complications was not significantly different, in-clinic removal led to more interactions with surgical nursing staff and longer travel times.

The study concluded that patient-performed at-home drain removal was safe and allowed for more timely surgical drain removal. The pilot program may provide a feasible option for postoperative care in patients with surgical drains.

Reference: https://www.americanjournalofsurgery.com/article/S0002-9610(22)00569-4/fulltext