A Prospective Observational Study to Identify the Pattern of Surgical Drain Output Following Head and Neck Surgery

Postoperative drain management following Head and Neck surgeries remain debated. This study was conducted to identify patterns of drain output and the factors influencing drain output. This is a prospective observational study of 100 patients undergoing Head and Neck surgery (with or without neck dissection) at a tertiary centre, from September to December 2025. Drain output was measured 8-hourly and the possible factors influencing drain output like intraoperative blood loss, neck dissection, BMI, albumin were measured, and the correlation noted. Median first-8-hour output was 90 mL (2.18 mL/hr), declining significantly thereafter. Neck dissection was linked to higher drain outputs (p<0.001) and longer stay (8 and 4 days). Intraoperative blood loss had positive correlation (r=0.50, p<0.001); albumin had a negative correlation(r=-0.50, p<0.001). Conclusion: Postoperative drain output in head and neck surgery peaks in the first 8 hours and declines significantly thereafter, with neck dissection linked to higher outputs and longer hospital stays. Intraoperative blood loss positively correlates with total output, while preoperative albumin correlates negatively. These findings endorse 8- hourly monitoring and threshold based early drain removal to standardise care and shorten hospital stay.