Objective To investigate the appropriate indication about removing abdominal drainage after pancreaticoduodenectomy. Method The clinical data of 156 patients who underwent pancreaticoduodenectomy in our hospital from January 2014 to June 2016 were analyzed retrospectively. The patients were divided into two groups, with 76 patients in the enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) group and 80 patients in the control group according to the type of indications about removing abdominal drainage. The time of removing abdominal drainage, hospital stay, incidence of postoperative complications, and readmission rate during 30 days after surgery were compared between the2 groups. Results Compared with the control group, the time of removing abdominal drainage 〔(6.2±2.5) dvs. (10.8±2.2) d,P<0.001〕and hospital stay〔(11.8±3.4) dvs. (15.7±3.6) d,P<0.001〕 of the ERAS group were both shorter, incidence of abdominal infection was lower〔1.3% (1/76)vs. 10.0% (8/80), P=0.020〕 , but there was no significant difference in the incidence of postoperative pancreatic fistula 〔18.4% (14/76) vs. 21.3% (17/80)〕 , delayed gastric emptying〔1.4% (1/76) vs. 7.5% (6/80)〕 , and the readmission rate during 30 days after surgery〔5.3% (4/76) vs. 3.8% (3/80)〕 , P>0.05. Conclusions Indications about removing abdominal drainage after pancreaticoduodenectomy by authors are safe.