Background: Prophylactic intraoperative drains have been shown not superior for patients underwent intestinal surgery. However, for patients with Crohn's disease (CD), this needs further exploration.
Methods: In this pilot study, CD patients were randomly assigned to drain (n = 50) and no-drain (n = 50) groups. The primary endpoint was the rate of postoperative prolonged ileus (PPOI). The secondary endpoints were postoperative abdominal ascites, postoperative systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) and C-reactive protein (CRP) levels.
Results: The incidences of PPOI and postoperative abdominal ascites were significantly lower in the drain group (12% vs 44%; 0% vs 24%, both P < .05). Postoperative SIRS incidence and CRP levels were significantly increased in the no-drain group [36% vs 10%; 54.9 vs 34.3 mg/L, both P < .05]. In multivariate analysis, prophylactic drainage was the independent protective factor for PPOI and postoperative LOS.
Conclusions: Prophylactic drainage may be associated with improved clinical outcomes in CD patients.
Keywords: Crohn’s disease; ileus; prophylactic intraoperative drainage; systemic inflammatory response syndrome.