Predictive Factors of Drain Insertion After Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy: A Cohort Study

University of Baghdad

Status: Completed

Conditions: Cholecystitis

Treatments: Other: Drain

Study type: Observational

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT07195643

Drainage after cholecystectomy

Details and patient eligibility

About

This study looks at when surgical drains are truly needed after laparoscopic gallbladder removal (laparoscopic cholecystectomy). Drains are sometimes placed during surgery to prevent fluid buildup or infection, but many studies show they are not always necessary. We reviewed 559 patients who had this surgery at Safeer Al-Husain Hospital in Karbala, Iraq. The goal of this study is to help doctors decide more carefully when to use drains, so patients can avoid unnecessary tubes and recover more quickly.

Full description

Background:

Laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) is the standard treatment for symptomatic gallstones, offering benefits such as reduced pain, shorter hospital stays, and faster recovery. However, postoperative complications like bile leakage, hemorrhage, and infection remain concerns. Many surgeons use intraoperative drains routinely to prevent these complications, though evidence increasingly suggests selective use may be preferable. Few studies have systematically identified which patient or intraoperative factors predict the need for drain placement.

Objective:

To identify demographic, clinical, and intraoperative predictors of surgical drain placement after LC, enabling evidence-based, selective drain use.

Methods:

• Design: prospective cross-sectional study at Safeer Al-Husain Hospital, Karbala, Iraq.
• Population: 559 patients undergoing LC.
• Data Collection: Patient demographics, operative details, intraoperative findings, and drain usage were extracted from standardized hospital records.
• Statistical Analysis: Associations between patient/surgical variables and drain placement were assessed using univariate and multivariate logistic regression. Statistical significance was defined as p < 0.05.

Enrollment: 559 patients

Sex: All

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Underwent laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) at Safeer Al-Husain Hospital, Karbala, Iraq.

• Both male and female patients.

• Diagnosed with gallstone disease, including:

  • Chronic cholecystitis
  • Acute cholecystitis
  • Acute-on-chronic cholecystitis
  • Biliary colic

Exclusion criteria

• Conversion from laparoscopic to open cholecystectomy prior to completion of the procedure.
• Patients undergoing emergency surgery for gallbladder perforation with generalized peritonitis, where standard laparoscopic cholecystectomy was not feasible.

Trial design

559 participants in 1 patient group

Patients underwent laparoscopic cholecystectomy

Description:

This study cohort consists of 559 patients who underwent laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) at Safeer Al-Husain Hospital, Karbala, Iraq, between January 2025 and March 2025. Patients were included regardless of age, gender, body mass index, or gallbladder pathology, as long as they underwent elective or emergency LC.

Treatment:

Other: Drain