Document Type

Abstract

Publication Date

2-11-2026

Comments

Presented at the 2026 Scholarly Inquiry (SI) Research Project Symposium.

Abstract

Introduction: The Jackson Pratt (JP) Drain removes surgical site fluid postoperatively. It prevents surgical site complications, however mastectomy and breast reconstruction patients report varying states of pain and quality of life (QOL) during use. The anterior chest wall is densely innervated and drain placement is not precisely controlled. We hypothesize that placement variation contributes to inconsistent patient outcomes. This prospective cohort study aims to understand the impact of drain placement on pain and QOL.

Methods: The drain sites of 30 patients undergoing breast reconstruction or mastectomy and screened for exclusion criteria are measured intraoperatively using anatomical landmarks. A validated pain and QOL survey is administered on post-op day 2, 7 and 14. The measurement data is normalized and a heat map is generated to visualize the pain score data across drain site locations.

Results: Preliminary data shows drain placement lateral to the anterior axillary line is associated with higher pain scores and reduced QOL, while drain placement medial to the anterior axillary line is associated with lower pain scores and improved QOL. This trend is reflected across the cohort and within a patient with bilateral drains one placed medially and one laterally.

Discussion/Conclusions: Preliminary results, though limited, show encouraging evidence that drain placement may be an innovative lever to reduce patient pain and QOL impact. Additional data may highlight an optimal location for the drain on the body wall that minimizes pain and maximizes QOL. Future work may include development of a device to assist surgeons with consistent placement across a diverse patient population.

Language

English

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