Chest drainage inevitably involves attaching the drain to a chest drainage system. Chest drainage may be related to some specific complications.The aim of the article is to explain the classification and principles of the individual chest drainage systems. They may be divided into passive ones (valve and water seal) and active chest suction. Balanced chest drainage represents a specific method. Further, the article deals with the most common complications of chest drainage, namely prolonged air leak, multifactorial lung oedemas, atrial fibrillation and empyema of the chest cavity.The choice of a suitable drainage system is an important factor for the success of chest drainage, including the probability of complications occurring. The knowledge of appropriate methods of solving the complications of chest drainage, including the use of less standard techniques, allows us to treat the majority of even considerably complicated conditions.