Feasibility of an improved knotless method of chest drain wound closure:a prospective cohort clinical trial

Abstract

Objective: Chest tube management plays a key role in minimising erioperative period. We have improved the knotless method to chest tube wounds. In this article, we demonstrate the clinical bility and safety of this method. Method: From 13 October 2018–3 January 2019, patients were ecutively included in our study at the First Affiliated Hospital of n Medical University, Dalian, China. They were separated into approximately equally sized groups—the knotless group and the entional group. Our improved knotless method was performed ose the chest tube wounds of patients in the knotless group, and onventional method using the pre-existing U-shaped string to the chest tube wounds of patients in the conventional group. Patient clinical information, tube-related complications, retreatment s and cosmetic scores were compared between the groups. Results: The cohort comprised 102 patients; 47 in the knotless group and 55 in the conventional group. There were no statistically significant differences in patient clinical information or tube-related complications between the two groups (p>0.05; both comparisons). In the knotless group, retreatment times were shorter (p<0.001) and cosmetic scores were higher (p<0.001). Conclusion: This study showed that our new knotless method is safe and has wide clinical feasibility. The new method also improved patient cosmetic scores. Furthermore, it decreased the patients’ economic burdens.