Table 2:
Results of primary and secondary end points in the study group
| Variables | T-tube group (n = 51) | Control group (n = 58) | P-Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Primary end points | |||
| 1st POD pneumothoraxes, n (%) | <0.001 | ||
| Present | 15 (29.4%) | 37 (63.8%) | |
| Absent | 36 (70.6%) | 21 (36.2%) | |
| Subcutaneous emphysema, n (%) | 0.26 | ||
| Present | 5 (9.8%) | 10 (17.2%) | |
| Absent | 46 (90.2%) | 48 (82.8%) | |
| Tube kinking, n (%) | 0.019 | ||
| Yes | 5 (9.8%) | 16 (27.6%) | |
| No | 46 (90.2%) | 42 (72.4%) | |
| Tube obstruction, n (%) | 0.32 | ||
| Yes | 4 (7.8%) | 8 (13.8%) | |
| No | 47 (92.2%) | 50 (86.2%) | |
| Tube repositioning, n (%) | 0.043 | ||
| Yes | 1 (2.0%) | 7 (12.1%) | |
| No | 50 (98.0%) | 51 (87.9%) | |
| 1st POD drained effusion (ml), median (IQR) | 220 (150–320) | 175 (130–290) | 0.11 |
| Postoperative thoracentesis, n (%) | 0.18 | ||
| Yes | 0 (0.0%) | 2 (3.4%) | |
| No | 51 (100.0%) | 56 (96.6%) | |
| Secondary end points | |||
| 6 h postoperative VAS pain median (IQR) | 3 (3–4) | 4 (3–5) | <0.001 |
| 24 h postoperative VAS pain median (IQR) | 3 (2–4) | 3 (2–4) | 0.35 |
| Tube removal VAS pain median (IQR) | 3 (2–5) | 2 (1–3) | <0.001 |
| Hospitalization (days) median (IQR) | 3 (2–3) | 3 (2–4) | 0.54 |
IQR: interquartile range; POD: postoperative day; VAS: visual analogue scale. Significant P-values (<0.05) are bold.