A Punctureless and Secure Method of Chest Tube Fixation

Small chest tubes and pigtail catheters are frequently placed at our institution for pleural drainage of pneumothorax and pleural effusions. After placement of a chest tube, secure fixation of the device is paramount to prevent dislodgment and patient discomfort. Traditionally, the chest tube has been anchored with suture, wound around the chest tube in a figure eight fashion, and sutured to the adjacent skin of the patient. This has been the standard of practice for many years. Other methods such as the "Roman sandal"1 or a modified mattress suture2 have been developed and tried, but either with multiple skin punctures or limited success.

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