Postoperative Drainage Efficacy of 8Fr Pigtail Catheter After Bullectomy: A Non-Inferiority Study

Background There are no established guidelines regarding the optimal size of chest tubes following a bullectomy. While large chest tubes are commonly used after bullectomy, several studies have shown that pigtail catheters can be effectively employed for postoperative drainage in lung cancer surgery. This study aimed to compare the time to tube removal between an 8Fr pigtail catheter and a 24Fr chest tube after bullectomy to assess the non-inferiority of the 8Fr pigtail catheter. Methods Data from 32 patients aged 14-30 years who underwent bullectomy between April 2020 and April 2023 were analyzed. Participants were assigned to receive either an 8Fr pigtail catheter (n = 10) or a 24Fr chest tube (n = 22). The primary outcome measured was the number of days until tube removal. Results The mean time to tube removal was 1.2 days in the 8Fr group and 1.5 days in the 24Fr group, meeting the non-inferiority margin of one day (mean difference: -0.3 days, 95% CI: -0.78, 0.18). No major complications were observed in either group. Conclusions An 8Fr pigtail catheter appears to be a non-inferior alternative to the 24Fr chest tube for postoperative drainage following bullectomy.