Intraperitoneal low-pressure suction drainage following splenectomy

A consecutive series of 282 patients undergoing splenectomy on one surgical unit has been studied to ascertain the incidence of postoperative subphrenic abscess. Only two atypical subphrenic abscesses occurred (0.17 per cent), a rate of abscess formation much lower than that reported in other series. We believe that the use of low-pressure closed suction drainage to the splenic bed accounts for this low rate.