The use of Blake drains following general thoracic surgery: is it an acceptable option?

Abstract

As a method of chest drainage, we analyzed the extended utility of silastic flexible drains (Blake drains, Ethicon, Inc., Somerville, NJ) for general thoracic surgery. In 420 cases of general thoracic surgery, Blake drains were used. To examine the utility of Blake drains, we investigated the diseases for which they were used, their effectiveness in addressing postoperative complications. The treated diseases for which Blake drains were used comprised 181 cases of primary lung cancer, 44 cases of metastatic lung tumor, 57 cases of benign lung disease, 32 cases of mediastinal tumor, 6 cases of myasthenia gravis, 76 cases of spontaneous pneumothorax, 14 cases of chest wall and/or pleural tumor, 6 cases of empyema, and 4 cases of diaphragmatic disease. Blake drains functioned efficiently in 3 cases of re-operation for postoperative bleeding, 2 cases of adhesion therapy with drugs for persistent air leaks, and 1 case of re-operation for chylothorax. There were no cases of either complications or patient complaints of discomfort resulting from drain placement. The use of Blake drains for general thoracic surgery is considered to be an acceptable option, and it is necessary to proceed with further investigations of larger numbers of cases.