Drains should be abandoned following thyroid surgery

A prospective double-blinded randomised clinical trial evaluating the impact of drain insertion versus no drain insertion following thyroid surgery on patient outcome

Status

Active, not recruiting

Phases

Unknown

Study type

Interventional

Source

ISRCTN

Registry ID

ISRCTN94715414

Enrollment

Registered

2010-03-25

Start date

2008-01-01

Completion date

Unknown

Last updated

2015-01-13

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Thyroid surgery Surgery Thyroid surgery

Interventions

Patients are randomised to drain or no drain insertion at the end of surgery. Patients undergo ultrasound 24 and 48 hours post-operatively.

Eligibility

Sex/Gender

All

Inclusion criteria

Inclusion criteria: 1. Patients aged 18 - 79 years, either sex 2. Undergoing thyroidectomy

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion criteria: 1. Sternotomy 2. Neck dissection 3. Less than 18 years 4. History of bleeding disorders

Design outcomes

Primary

Measure	Time frame
Fluid accumulation in thyroid bed 24 hours post-operatively	—

Secondary

Measure	Time frame
1. Length of post-operative stay 2. Pain using a visual analogue scale 3. Analgesia requirements at 24 hours 4. Fluid accumulated on ultrasound at 48 hours	—

Countries

Ireland

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ISRCTN (via WHO ICTRP) · Data processed: Mar 26, 2026