Evaluation of the potential complications of surgical wound drainage in primary total hip arthroplasty: a prospective controlled double-blind study

Background: The routine use of postoperative wound drainage following total hip arthroplasty (THA) to avoid the creation of excessive haematomas is controversial because of the potential risk of blood loss and wound infection.

Methods: In a prospective double-blind controlled study, 2 groups of patients with hip joint osteoarthritis were operated with primary THA, 1 with surgical wound negative pressure drainage (Group 1 - 635 patients) and the other without (Group 2 - 527 patients). Postoperative blood haemoglobin and haematocrit levels, the necessity for blood transfusion, values of the potential infection markers (serum C-reactive protein values and erythrocyte sedimentation rate), postoperative pain level (according to the VAS scale) and functional outcome (according to Harris Hip Score [HHS] and SF-36 scores) at 12 months postoperatively were compared.

Results: A significantly higher drop in blood haemoglobin and haematocrit values was observed in the Group 1 patients (mean drop of 2.2 gr/dl ± 0.25 vs. 1.6 gr/dl ± 0.35 and mean drop of 16% ± 4.0 vs. 11% ± 3.0, respectively, p < 0.01, paired t test). The need for blood transfusion was significantly higher in the Group 1 patients (4.9% vs. 3.9%, p < 0.05, t test). The severity of pain (VAS scale) on the first day after the operation was significantly lower in the Group 1 patients (p < 0.05, t test), but overall, in both groups it was of low intensity (VAS <3). A similar postoperative wound infection rate was observed in both groups (0.4%). HHS and SF-36 scores were similar in both groups.

Conclusions: The drainage of surgical wounds following primary THA due to hip osteoarthritis has a low added value and might cause an increased requirement for blood transfusion.