Percutaneous drainage of intra abdominal fluid collections.

For 25 years, percutaneous drainage has become an elective choicefor treatment of intra-abdominal abscesses and fluid collections,whatever the etiology.From January 1986 to January 2002, 650 patients were treated withthis technique in our department. Out of them, 209 presented anintra abdominal collection and 74 an intra visceral collection (liveror spleen). The success rate was 90 % for infected collections, 60 %for primary or postoperative haematomas, and only 30 % for cysts,whatever the localization.In our experience, percutaneous drainage is a feasible and safe procedure,especially for treatment of intra abdominal abscesses. Itallows to cure a large number of patients who would have beenoperated with high mortality in the past years, related to poor generalcondition, septic conditions or both.This procedure should take a greater place in surgical practice.