O193: Drains versus No Drain in Thyroid Surgery: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomised Controlled Trials

Abstract

Abstract Introduction Thyroid surgery does not come without its risks of complications of post-operative haemorrhage, haematoma and seroma, for which drains may be used. Placement of a drain may prevent these complications, which may be life-threatening due to vascular compromise and airway compression. Objective This study aims to evaluate the outcomes and complications in patients undergoing thyroid surgery with a drain and without a drain. Methods Systematic review of all studies up to October 2023. These studies were identified from all major databases including MEDLINE, Cochrane (1960–2023), and EMBASE (1991–2023). All studies reporting a comparison between drain and no drain thyroid surgery were searched; all studies were included. Post-operative complications and outcomes were recorded and analysed. Results 35 studies with 4089 patients contributed to the summative outcome measures. The no drain group showed a statistically significant superiority compared to the drain group when it came to infection rates (p=0.0001), re-operation rates (p=0.05), pain score (p<0.00001) and length of stay (p<0.00001). There was no statistical difference for haematoma (p=0.52), haemorrhage (p=0.39) or seroma rates (p=0.38). Conclusion There is a superiority in postoperative outcomes and reduced complications in favour of patients without a drain compared to patients with a drain following thyroid surgery. A large number of studies with a large patient population were included; further studies are required to assess the individual suitable indications for a drain in thyroid surgery.