Closed Suction Drainage in Shoulder Arthroplasty
Closed Suction Drainage in Shoulder Arthroplasty
The purpose of this study is to determine the limited effectiveness of drains during Total
 Shoulder Arthroplasty. Drains are used during joint arthroplasty procedures to decrease
 infection rates, swelling,and the number of dressing changes required during a hospital stay.
 The use of drains has been heavily investigated in the hip and knee replacement literature,
 but there have been no investigations regarding their use in shoulder replacements, despite
 frequent use.

 Clinical benefit has not been consistently documented regarding drain usage in hip and knee
 arthroplasty and the investigators hypothesize that they are of limited utility in total
 shoulder arthroplasty as well. The investigators will perform a prospective investigation of
 total shoulder arthroplasty patients- dividing them into two groups- half will receive a
 drain at the time of surgery and the other half will not be receiving a drain.
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.
Inclusion Criteria:

 -  Patients diagnosed with Glenohumeral Osteoarthritis undergoing total shoulder
 arthroplasty

 Exclusion Criteria:

 -  Patients undergoing total shoulder arthroplasty following trauma, failed prior
 surgery/revision or infection