Chest drainage systems and management of air leaks after a pulmonary resection

Air leaks after a pulmonary resection continue to be the most common postoperative complication. The presence of an air leak occurs in approximately 30–50% of patients immediately after surgery. Prolonged air leaks (PALs) predict an increased hospital length of stay, additional chest tube days and increased pain. The two types of systems used after surgery are digital and traditional chest drainage devices. Eighteen articles from four databases were evaluated for this analysis in chest drainage systems and managing air leaks after thoracic surgery. The digital and traditional drainage devices were evaluated. PALs were examined with interobserver variability of air leak assessment and differences in the two systems were addressed. The research gaps in the digital system are examining what flow thresholds should be used to safely remove a chest tube after surgery and for what length of time. In future research, the next step is standardizing chest tube management to decrease individual surgeon preference. Treatment of air leaks implementing scientific data instead of personal preference and opinion by a surgeon can lead to earlier chest tube removal, decreased morbidity and a shorter hospital stay.