Pleural drain placement following lung resection in children: A prospective observational study of the Western Pediatric Surgery Research Consortium

Pleural drains are used routinely after thoracic surgery in children despite evidence that drainage is not always necessary. The purpose of this study was to assess the necessity of intraoperative drain placement after resectional lung surgery in children, provide a contemporary characterization of the use of pleural drains, and evaluate the utility of intraoperative air leak testing.