A clinical audit on the effect of suction drainage on microvascular anastomosis

Introduction: There are reports that thrombosis in microsurgically anastomosed vessels occurred after the vessels were drawn into the suction drains.

Aim: To study the effects of suction drainage on microvascular anastomosis.

Patients and methods: The authors compared the proportion of complications in 77 patients who had suction drainage (n=45) or no suction drainage (n=32) with microvascular free flap surgery in the head and neck region. Ultrasonography and Doppler flow ultrasonography were performed on five more patients 3 days after the operation.

Results: There were no significant differences between the two retrospectively evaluated groups for incidence of postoperative complications. Ultrasound in the prospective study group revealed that vessels were neither sucked into the suction drain nor displaced towards the drain.

Conclusion: These findings contravened the reports of vessels being sucked into drains and therefore the clinical use of suction drainage in conjunction with microsurgery in the head and neck region is still advocated.