A Randomized Multicenter Clinical Study On the High Vacuum Body Cavity Drainage System Following Open Heart Surgery

The purpose of this study is to compare a new high vacuum pressure chest drainage system (NO-NUMO™) with the standard low vacuum pressure drainage system already in use in cardiac surgeries. The new system uses smaller diameter drainage tubing to remove blood from the chest after open heart surgery. This is less painful to the patient and should help the patient to breathe better after operation. Preliminary data suggests that the high vacuum suction is effective and practical, and could actually reduce the amount of chest tube bleeding after surgery without compromising heart function. This new high vacuum drainage system was approved by the FDA in 2002. Subsequent testing at University of California, Irvine indicated that this unique system may allow the surgeon to predict excessive postoperative bleeding before the patient is transferred out of the operating room, thus adding safety, convenience, and cost effectiveness to their use.