Drain has been widely used in many abdominal surgeries for therapeutic purposes such as the removal of infected debris or abscess, and supporting the healing of leakage or fistula. Although the usability of therapeutic drain is commonly accepted, the efficacy of prophylactic drain still has been debated. Most surgeons have inserted prophylactic drain with expectations that the drain would be helpful for early detection of postoperative bleeding or leakage, and also prevention of intra-abdominal abscess through removing debris or curd. However, there are only few evidence-based studies for the actual effectiveness of prophylactic drain and the objections against the routine use of drain have been raised.