Drainage of liver abscess (open / catheter)
- Usual anaesthesia
- General anaesthesia with endotracheal intubation
- Position
- Supine
- Setting
- urgent
Operative note template for open (or laparoscopic) drainage of a pyogenic or amoebic liver abscess, with a filled example for laparotomy and drainage of a ruptured amoebic liver abscess with peritonitis.
Blank template
Follow this order in the case sheet. Tick the options that apply and fill the blanks.
Patient and case
- Name / Age / Sex
- UHID / IP no. / Ward-Bed
- Date of surgery / OT no.
- CaseElectiveEmergency (non-elective)if emergency, state urgency and reason
- Timesin OT ___ anaesthesia start ___ incision ___ closure ___ out of OT ___
Team
- Operating surgeonname, designation
- Assistant(s)
- Supervising consultantpresent in OT / available / not applicable
- Steps done by the residentwhole procedure / named steps, under whose supervision
- Anaesthetist
- Scrub nurse / circulating nurse
Diagnosis and procedure
- Pre-operative diagnosis
- Post-operative diagnosis
- Procedure planned
- Procedure performedif different from plan, state why
- Extra procedure done and reason'none' if none. Only to save life or health if not consented
Consent and safety checks
- Informed consentGeneralProcedure-specificHigh-riskAnaesthesiain a language the patient understands: language ___ witness ___
- Site / side markedYesNot applicable
- WHO Surgical Safety ChecklistSign inTime outSign out
- Antibiotic prophylaxisdrug, dose, route, time given before incision
- VTE prophylaxisMechanicalPharmacologicalNot indicated
Risks to explain in the consent for this operation
- bleeding from the liver, which may need packing
- bile leak or biloma
- continuing sepsis and need for repeat drainage
- injury to the diaphragm with chest contamination or pneumothorax
- injury to the duodenum, colon or bile duct
- prolonged drain and wound infection
- second look or re-laparotomy
- need for ICU care and ventilation
Pre-operative details for this operation
- Indication for open drainageRupture with peritonitisFailed percutaneous drainageNot suitable for percutaneous drainage (multiloculated, large, thick contents)Percutaneous drainage not available
- Type of abscess suspectedAmoebicPyogenicNot knownserology, earlier aspirate results
- ImagingUSG / CT: segment, size, number, loculation, gas, rupture, free fluid, biliary communication
- Antibiotics and amoebicide already starteddrugs and start dates
- BloodsHb, TLC, LFT, INR, creatinine, blood culture, blood cross-matched
- Nasogastric tube and urinary catheter
Anaesthesia and position
- AnaesthesiaGeneral with endotracheal intubation
- PositionSupine
- Intra-operative ultrasoundAvailableNot available
Operative findings
- Peritoneal contaminationvolume and character of pus or fluid, where it was
- Abscesslobe or segment, size, site of rupture, number of cavities, loculi
- Pusvolume aspirated, colour, smell
- Bile in the cavityNo bile leakBile leak seen (site)
- Other organsgallbladder, colon, duodenum, diaphragm, bowel
Procedure (steps)
- IncisionRight subcostalRight subcostal extended to midline (hockey stick)Bilateral subcostalMidline (generalised peritonitis)Laparoscopiclength
- Free pus and fluid sucked out, sample sentvolume
- Adhesions separatedcolon or omentum freed from liver with care to colon, mesentery and duodenum
- Abscess localisedSeen or feltIntra-operative ultrasoundNeedle aspirationlarge-bore long needle, choose a site that gives pus, not blood
- Pus sent for culture and sensitivityalso for amoeba if suspected
- Abscess opened and unroofedelectrocautery along the needle track, area packed off, suction ready
- Loculi brokenfinger and suction
- Cavity irrigated with salinevolume
- Cavity checked for bleeding and bile leakany bile leak controlled with sutures or clips
- Drain in abscess cavitytype and size (e.g. large-bore tube 28 to 32 Fr), brought out through a separate stab wound
- Peritoneal toiletvolume of warm saline used
Closure, drains and dressing
- Peritoneal drainsite, type, size
- Packing for bleedingNot neededPacks left (number), temporary abdominal closure
- Sheathsuture material and technique
- SkinClosedLeft open (contaminated wound)Staples
- Drains fixed and labelledwhich drain is cavity and which is peritoneal
Specimens and implants
- Pus for culture and sensitivitySent
- Pus for amoeba / other testsSentNot sent
- Abscess wall biopsy for HPESentNot sentif malignancy is a concern
End of procedure
- Estimated blood lossml
- IV fluids and blood / products givenfluids (ml); blood: type, units, bag nos.
- Swab, needle and instrument countCorrectIncorrect: action taken
- Intra-operative complications / difficultieswhat happened and what was done; 'none' if none
- Implant stickersNo implantAffixed in case sheet, OT register and for discharge summary
- Condition at end of surgery / shifted toPACUWardICU/HDU
Post-operative orders
- Pulse, BP, temperature, urine outputhourly for the first 6 hours
- Cavity drain and peritoneal drainchart each separately: volume and nature (pus, blood, bile)
- Antibiotics and amoebicidedrug, dose, route, duration, change when culture report arrives
- Nasogastric tube and dietnil by mouth till bowel sounds, plan
- IV fluidstype and rate
- Analgesiadrug, dose, frequency
- Chest physiotherapyincentive spirometry, early sitting up
- InvestigationsTLC, LFT on POD 1, repeat USG before drain removal
- Drain removalwhen output is low and there is no sepsis or bile leak
Signature
- Name and designation of person writing note
- Medical Council registration no.
- Signature / date / time of writingwrite before the patient leaves recovery
Worked example
Fictional case: Mr. R.M., 45 years, known amoebic liver abscess on oral metronidazole for 3 days, sudden increase in abdominal pain with generalised guarding, CT shows a ruptured 9 cm abscess in segments 7 and 8 with free fluid in the peritoneal cavity.
Case details
Date: 07/08/2026. Emergency laparotomy. OT 3.
Decision time 13:30. In OT 14:40. Induction 14:45. Skin incision 14:55. Closure completed 16:05.
Surgeon: Dr A. (3rd-year resident, General Surgery). Assistant: Dr B. (2nd-year resident). Consultant: Dr C., present in OT.
Anaesthetist: Dr D. Scrub nurse: Sr E.
Indication and pre-op
Indication: ruptured amoebic liver abscess with generalised peritonitis. Amoebic serology positive on admission.
CT: 9 x 8 cm abscess, segments 7 and 8, with a breach of the capsule on the inferior surface and moderate free fluid. No biliary dilatation.
Hb 10.4 g/dl, TLC 21,600/cumm, INR 1.3, creatinine 1.1 mg/dl. 2 units cross-matched. Blood culture sent.
Consent: laparotomy and drainage, with possible packing, re-laparotomy and ICU care, explained in Hindi to patient and brother.
On IV antibiotics and IV metronidazole as per drug chart since 10:00. WHO checklist done. Nasogastric tube 16 Fr and Foley 16 Fr in situ.
Anaesthesia and position
General anaesthesia with endotracheal intubation. Supine. Parts painted with povidone-iodine and draped.
Procedure
Upper midline incision, as the peritonitis was generalised.
About 900 ml of thin brown fluid in the peritoneal cavity, mostly in the right subphrenic and subhepatic spaces and pelvis. Sucked out. Sample sent for culture.
Omentum and hepatic flexure stuck to the inferior surface of the right lobe. Separated gently. Duodenum and colon not injured.
Rupture site 2 cm on the posteroinferior surface of segment 7 with brown pus coming out. Abscess felt as a soft area. Needle aspiration confirmed pus, no blood.
Abscess opened along the needle track with electrocautery and unroofed. Area packed off with mops, suction ready. About 700 ml of thick brown pus drained. Sample sent for culture and sensitivity and for amoeba.
Loculi broken with finger and suction. Cavity irrigated with 2 litres of warm saline.
No bleeding from the cavity wall. No bile seen in the cavity.
32 Fr tube drain placed in the cavity, brought out through a separate stab wound in the right flank.
Gallbladder normal. Small bowel and colon normal. Peritoneal toilet with 4 litres of warm saline.
Closure
28 Fr tube drain in the pelvis through a separate left iliac fossa stab wound. Drains fixed to skin and labelled: 1 cavity, 2 pelvis.
Sheath closed with continuous looped polydioxanone (PDS) No. 1. Skin closed with staples.
Specimens and implants
Pus (cavity) for culture and sensitivity and for amoeba. Peritoneal fluid for culture. No tissue for HPE. No implants.
End of procedure
Estimated blood loss 200 ml. No transfusion.
Mop, needle and instrument count correct, confirmed by scrub nurse.
No intra-operative complications.
Extubated in OT. Shifted to surgical ICU. Pulse 104/min, BP 116/70 mmHg.
Post-op orders
Pulse, BP, temperature and urine output hourly for 6 hours.
Chart the cavity drain and the pelvic drain separately. Inform if blood or bile in either.
Nil by mouth. Nasogastric tube on free drainage. IV fluids as per charted plan.
IV antibiotics and IV metronidazole to continue as per drug chart. Change to oral metronidazole 800 mg three times a day to complete 10 days once taking orally.
Inj paracetamol 1 g IV 8-hourly.
Chest physiotherapy and incentive spirometry. TLC and LFT on POD 1. USG before cavity drain removal.
Signature
Dr A., JR-3, General Surgery. Reg. no. ________. 07/08/2026, 16:20.
Must document for this operation
- Why open drainage was chosen over percutaneous drainage. Most liver abscesses are now drained through the skin, so an audit will ask why the abdomen was opened.
- Site and size of the abscess and of the rupture, and the number of cavities. Follow-up ultrasound is compared with this to judge whether the cavity is closing.
- Volume and appearance of pus, and which samples went to the laboratory. The antibiotic plan changes with the culture result, and missing samples cannot be taken again.
- Presence or absence of bile in the cavity. A bile leak explains later bilious drain output and may need further treatment.
- Each drain: site, size and what it drains. The ward team must know which drain is the cavity drain when reading output and deciding removal.
- Any injury or tear to colon, mesentery, duodenum or diaphragm. These are the known complications and are otherwise found late.
Common mistakes in these notes
- Writing 'liver abscess drained' with no segment, size or volume of pus.
- Not recording whether the pus was sent for culture and for amoeba.
- Not labelling drains, so cavity and peritoneal outputs get mixed on the chart.
- Leaving out the reason for not doing percutaneous drainage.
- Not writing whether bile was seen in the cavity.
Indian practice and paperwork
- NABH expects the operative note to be written before the patient is moved out of recovery, and the post-op care to follow a written plan. (NABH 5th ed., COP.14(e) and (f))
- Consent must be explained in a language the patient understands, and should name the possible extra steps (packing, re-laparotomy). (NABH 5th ed., PRE.4(c))
- Mops, needles and instruments are counted before the start, before final closure and at the end. Record the count in the note. (NQAS Assessor's Guidebook for District Hospitals 2020, ME E15.3)
Sources
- Scott-Conner CEH, Dawson DL. Scott-Conner & Dawson: Essential Operative Techniques and Anatomy. 4th ed. Wolters Kluwer; 2014, Ch 83, Drainage of Hepatic Abscess (Mezhir JJ); Ch 44, Exploratory Laparotomy (closure), pp. 437-439; 233.
- Gvalani AK. Manual of Instruments and Operative Surgery. 2nd ed. CBS Publishers, Ch 51, Liver and Subphrenic Spaces: liver abscess, pp. 289-290.
- Gvalani, Manual of Instruments and Operative Surgery 2e, Ch 51, printed p. 289: metronidazole 800 mg three times a day for 10 days in adults with amoebic liver abscess.
- OFIRMEV (acetaminophen injection) US prescribing information, 2010. Adults 50 kg and over: 1000 mg every 6 hours, maximum 4000 mg per day, minimum interval 4 hours. www.accessdata.fda.gov/drugsatfda_docs/label/2010/022450lbl.pdf
Educational template for residents. Adapt it to your institution's case-sheet format and your consultant's instructions. Patient details in the example are fictional.
Videos of this operation
Teaching videos and pages for this operation, listed under the curriculum item that asks for it.