The risk of superinfection following routine abdominal drainage after major surgery is debated.
Especially in patients with malignant diseases and a compromised host defense, this might be a factor
increasing morbidity and mortality. During a 3-year period (1986β1988) 41 patients operated on for
malignant abdominal conditions received a peritoneal catheter connected to a subcutaneous portal
inserted in order to participate in a trial on postoperative intraperitoneal chemotherapy using 5-
Fluorouracil. No abdominal drains were inserted. In 15 patients, the subcutaneous portal was used for
evacuation of postoperative fluid accumulation within the abdomen. The mean age was 53 (range 41β70)
years. Inserted catheters were used for drainage up to 14 days postoperatively. The daily amount of fluid
drained varied from 20 to 2 000 ml with a mean of 610 ml/patient and day. One patient required removal
of the catheter due to infection around the subcutaneous chamber. Otherwise, the catheter system was
not associated with any other complications or complaints. One patient developed a postoperative left
subphrenic abscess drained percutaneously by the guidance of ultrasonography, a complication that
could not be attributed to the catheter system but merely to the major operation per se. An implantable
device for peritoneal access thus also seem useful for drainage of postoperative fluid collection, as
evaluated in this preliminary report