Patient-Directed Home Drain Removal in Head and Neck Surgery.
Laryngoscope
; 131(11): 2471-2477, 2021 11.
Article
in English
| MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-1179005
ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES/HYPOTHESIS:
The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of at home drain removal in head and neck surgery patients.METHODS:
The study population included patients who underwent head and neck surgery at an academic tertiary care center between February 2020 and November 2020 and were discharged with one to four drains with instructions for home removal. Prior to discharge, patients received thorough drain removal education. Patients were prospectively followed to evaluate for associated outcomes.RESULTS:
One hundred patients were evaluated in the study. There was record for ninety-seven patients receiving education at discharge. The most common methods of education were face-to-face education and written instructions with educational video link provided. Of 123 drains upon discharge, 110 drains (89.4%) were removed at home while 13 (10.6%) were removed in office. Most drains were located in the neck (86.4%). There was one seroma, two hematomas, two drain site infections, and five ED visits; however, none of these complications were directly associated with the action of drain removal at home. Calculated cost savings for travel and lost wages was $259.82 per round trip saved.CONCLUSIONS:
The results demonstrate that home drain removal can provide a safe and efficacious option for patients following head and neck surgery. This approach was safe and associated with patient cost savings and better utilization of provider's time. Furthermore, patients and healthcare providers avoided additional in-person encounters and exposures during the COVID-19 pandemic. Our findings warrant further investigation into cost savings and formal patient satisfaction associated with home drain removal. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE 4 Laryngoscope, 1312471-2477, 2021.Keywords
Full text:
Available
Collection:
International databases
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Patient Discharge
/
Postoperative Care
/
Neck Dissection
/
Drainage
/
Device Removal
/
Home Care Services
Type of study:
Cohort study
/
Diagnostic study
/
Experimental Studies
/
Observational study
/
Prognostic study
Limits:
Female
/
Humans
/
Male
/
Middle aged
Language:
English
Journal:
Laryngoscope
Journal subject:
Otolaryngology
Year:
2021
Document Type:
Article
Affiliation country:
Lary.29556
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