Active chest tube clearance after aortic valve surgery did not influence amount residual pericardial fluid after aortic valve replacement in a randomised trial

Drainology: Leveraging research in chest-drain management to enhance recovery after cardiothoracic surgery

“…The other study that did not show a benefit was too small to draw statistical comparisons, with only 50 patients in the active tube clearance intervention arm, 22 and it is therefore not surprising it did not show any benefit. The authors did observe a reduction in POAF.…”

“…There have been 9 clinical trials, including 1 with randomized design, for the device that uses a magnetic actuation system. 12 , 18 , 19 , 20 , 21 , 22 , 23 , 24 , 25 , E1 …”

Chest Tube Management: Past, Present, and Future Directions for Developing Evidence-Based Best Practices

“…Meanwhile, a small RCT (N = 100) published in 2020 found no significant differences in postoperative bleeding, echocardiographic measure of pericardial effusion, or POAF when aortic valve replacement patients were managed with active clearance. 38 Another 2020 study in 471 propensitymatched pairs found that patients with an active clearance tube in the retrosternal position experienced reduced chest tube output compared with conventional chest tubes but showed no significant difference in rates of reexploration for bleeding or tamponade or intervention for pneumothorax or pleural effusion. 39 A couple of studies have suggested that active chest tube clearance has significant benefits.…”