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VATS Up Daily · #003Technique
Interdisciplinary CardioVascular and Thoracic Surgery (ICVTS)Original article

Metal-supported versus conventional ultra-fine chest drains after pulmonary resection: a historical cohort study of drainage outcomes and placement learning curves.

2026 · Single-centre historical cohort

The takeaway

After pulmonary resection, a 10-F metal-supported drain was associated with fewer reinterventions, fewer encapsulated effusions and faster placement than a conventional 12-F drain.

  • Single-centre historical cohort of 5,235 patients after pulmonary resection: conventional 12-F drain in 2,614 (2006-2017) vs 10-F metal-supported, multi-side-port drain in 2,621 (2018-2023).
  • Additional catheter drainage: 7/2,621 (0.3%) vs 30/2,614 (1.1%); aOR 0.24, 95% CI 0.10-0.51; P < 0.001.
  • Encapsulated pleural effusion: 15/2,621 (0.6%) vs 34/2,614 (1.3%); aOR 0.44, 95% CI 0.24-0.79; P = 0.006.
  • Mean total placement time: 24.1±7.8 min vs 44.3±7.7 min; CUSUM learning curves peaked at cases 90 and 71.
  • Device use was determined by treatment era, so residual temporal confounding precludes firm causal inference.
Read at publisher (DOI)PubMed record

Open-access PDF shown here when the article's licence allows it.

Why it matters

Ultra-fine chest drains are susceptible to kinking and obstruction. In this single-centre cohort of 5,235 patients, a 10-F metal-supported, multi-side-port drain was associated with fewer additional catheter drainages and fewer encapsulated pleural effusions than a conventional 12-F drain, and with shorter placement times (24.1 vs 44.3 min). Drainage duration, length of stay and pain differed statistically, but the absolute differences were small. Because device use was determined by treatment era, the authors state that residual temporal confounding precludes firm causal inference.

— surgeon's take

Citation

Liu Y, Ma K, Lin R, et al. Metal-supported versus conventional ultra-fine chest drains after pulmonary resection: a historical cohort study of drainage outcomes and placement learning curves. Interdiscip Cardiovasc Thorac Surg. 2026. doi:10.1093/icvts/ivag286