Effect of Timing of Chest Drain Removal on Postoperative Results in Aortic Surgery

Background: Cardiovascular diseases remain a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide, with aortic pathologies presenting unique challenges in surgical management. Objective: To evaluate the effect of timing of chest drain removal on postoperative results in aortic surgery. Patients and methods: This retrospective research has been performed on 50 cases that were divided into 2 main groups: Group (A) involved 25 cases who had chest tube removal and followed up postoperatively within 48 hours or less, and group (B) included 25 patients who underwent chest tube removal and followed up postoperatively after 48 hours. Results: Postoperatively, pericardial effusion was reported in 8 patients in group A and 2 cases in group B, while 17 cases in group A and 23 cases in group B reported not to have pericardial effusion. A statistically significant variance has been observed among both groups (p-value equal to 0.034). Conclusion: Late removal of chest tubes significantly reduces the frequency of pericardial effusion following aortic surgery, as shown by the lower rates in patients with delayed removal. While early removal improves comfort by reducing pain and analgesic use, late removal ensures more thorough drainage, particularly in high-risk patients, minimizing fluid accumulation. Although early removal does not increase the risk of complications like atrial fibrillation, delayed removal plays a crucial role in preventing pericardial effusion and optimizing postoperative outcomes in certain patient populations.