Closed Suction Drainage in Shoulder Arthroplasty

The use of closed-suction draining has been well studied in the hip and knee arthroplasty literature. Drains have been used with the intention of decreasing infection, ecchymoses, and frequency of dressing changes. Some have reported a corresponding decrease in hematocrit for patients receiving post-op drainage leading to increased transfusion needs. Given that no clinical benefit has been consistently documented regarding drain usage in knee and hip arthroplasty, they are no longer routinely used in those operations. The use of such drainage systems in shoulder arthroplasty, however, has not been studied and the benefit of drain use in regards to patient outcomes is questionable. As such, the study is a prospective investigation comparing outcomes in two groups of total shoulder arthroplasty patients, those receiving a drain at the time of surgery and those without a drain. The short-term outcome measurements include peri-operative hematocrit and hemoglobin, infection rate, hematoma development, transfusion requirement, ecchymosis and wound complication. Long-term outcomes include shoulder functional scores as measured by post-operative visits and any need for revision shoulder surgery.