Early Mediastinal Chest Tube Removal following Cardiac Surgery is Rarely Associated with Pericardial Effusion Requiring Intervention
This retrospective institutional review evaluated routine mediastinal chest drain removal on postoperative day 1 after cardiopulmonary bypass surgery. Among 158 patients, chest drains were typically removed at ~22 hours with minimal output. Early drain removal was associated with low rates of clinically significant pericardial effusion and rare need for reintervention. These findings suggest that standardized early mediastinal chest tube removal can be safely implemented without increasing postoperative complications.
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