Pigtail chest tube catheters can remain in place as long as clinically necessary for adequate drainage, with no absolute maximum duration specified in guidelines; however, the catheter should be removed when drainage decreases to <100 mL per 24 hours for malignant effusions or <1. Pigtail chest tube catheters can remain in place as long as clinically necessary for adequate drainage, with no absolute maximum duration specified in guidelines; however, the catheter should be removed when drainage decreases to <100 mL per 24 hours for malignant effusions or <1. A pigtail can be left in the body for up to six months, although the risk of clogging increases exponentially after three months. A pigtail insert is often a first measure in the case of ureteral stones. We encourage its use for all cases of pleural effusion requiring chest drain except for empyema and other loculated effusions that yielded low success rate. This retrospective cohort study included. Pigtail catheters represent a minimally invasive solution for fluid or air drainage, and their removal requires careful attention to prevent complications.
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