A controlled trial of short-term versus standard axillary drainage after axillary clearance and iridium implant treatment of early breast cancer

Abstract

A controlled trial has been conducted to determine the safety of early drain removal after axillary clearance as part of conservation treatment in early breast cancer. A total of 84 patients was entered into the study of whom 41 had the drain removed after 5 days, irrespective of the volume of fluid draining, and 43 had drains removed when fluid was less than 20 ml per day. Of the standard drainage group, 28% required percutaneous aspiration of lymph because of subsequent accumulation, compared with 49% of the short-term drainage group. Early drain removal was not associated with any increase in wound complications nor in cosmetic outcome, but did enable earlier discharge of patients from hospital.