Q: What is the function of placing drainage tube after gallbladder cancer surgery? A: For patients with middle or advanced gallbladder cancer, radical resection or even extended radical resection is usually performed. As the surgical wound is relatively large, there may be a lot of localized exudate. In addition, due to intraoperative injury, inflammation, or tumor, patients may develop small biliary, intestinal, and lymphatic fistulas, resulting in the flow of bile, intestinal fluid, and lymphatic fluid to the body cavity through the abnormal breach. Therefore, routinely, drains are placed after laparotomy. Placing drainage tube can drain out the above fluids in time to avoid causing serious infection in abdominal cavity or even developing into infectious shock. For patients who have drainage tube placed after radical surgery for gallbladder cancer, it is generally necessary to pay attention to observe the color, character and amount of drainage fluid. If the amount of drainage fluid is very small and clear in color, and there is no obvious biliary fistula or intestinal fistula, usually the drainage tube can be removed in three or four days; if there is biliary fistula or intestinal fistula, attention must be paid to keep the drainage tube unobstructed, and drain out the accumulated exudate in time. Intravenous fluids and fasting can heal these small fistulas, so don’t worry too much.