“Drains can malfunction, introduce infection into the wound, leak, become misplaced, and entail extra incision and scarring. They create tracts at the site of removal, necessitate painful extraction, and risk injury to vessels on removal.” [Jones, Barry M. F.R.C.S.; Grover, Rajiv F.R.C.S.
Following your procedure, a surgical drain may be required to prevent a build-up of fluid the body naturally produces in the early stages of healing. If your drains are not removed while you're in hospital, it may be required for you to discharge from hospital with the drains in place.
If fluids are given a chance to build up, complications and/or infection can set in and healing can be delayed. Excess fluid in a post-surgical site can also cause pain and swelling.
Significant cost savings to both the hospital and to the patient can be achieved by omitting drain use. Routine use of drains in patients undergoing simple mastectomy ± SNB may be unnecessary and costly.
Answer: Drains are not necessary for all breast reductions
The decision to use or not use a drain is largely the result of the surgeon's expertise and surgical technique and it is important for patients to understand that there are no universal rules when it comes to their use or avoidance.
If you are going to have a mastectomy or reconstruction surgery, you will need one or more surgical drains to remove fluid from your wound site(s). If you are having both a mastectomy and lymph node dissection, you will have two drainage tubes.
By and large, drains are not painful to have in place. But they can cause discomfort, depending on how big they are and where they are placed. Typically, the discomfort is mild. But it's fair to say that the larger the drain, the greater the likelihood that it will cause some pain.
On average, JP drains can continue to drain for 1 to 5 weeks. Keep a log and bring it to the clinic for discussion so your surgical team can determine the best time to remove the drain. slide the fluid towards the bulb.
The drains typically stay in place until they are draining less than 30ml's of fluid per day. Face lift and neck lift drains usually come out within 1-3 days, as well as breast reduction drains. Tummy tuck drains typically stay in the longest, and may be left in place for 1-2 weeks.
Removing drains too soon may result in fluid buildup, seroma, and the need for fluid aspiration and/or a second surgery. Generally speaking, most patients who require tummy tuck drains are able to have them removed after about 1 – 3 weeks.
depending on the surgery at time we use drains to manage fluid in empty spaces. Ultimately swelling is transferred back to the lymphatic system and then the deep veins. When you body is ready you will pee out the extra fluid. This can take weeks in some cases and patience in the process is important.
Drains are only useful for removing serous (thin) body fluid. They are used when large raw surface areas are created (think: tummy tucks) or when lymphatics are deranged (think: mastectomy with lymph node dissection).
Evidence indicates that if a wound is not allowed to drain freely, blood, body fluids, pus, and necrotic material will collect in the wound, providing a growth medium for microorganisms. Surgical wound drainage is recognized as a key element in facilitating the healing process.
The purpose of a drain is to remove fluid that can accumulate after surgery. When tissue gets removed from the body as it does in a breast reduction, or when new potential spaces are created, as a in a tummy tuck, the body sometimes tends to fill these areas up with fluid.
The drained fluid is collected into a dressing, bag, or container. You should see the drainage decrease after you go home, and you may see it change color. You should be shown how to empty the drain before you are discharged, and you should ask if you need to measure the drainage.
If instructed by your doctor, you may shower with the drains in place. Attach them to an old belt or cloth strap to limit the amount of pulling on the skin and to avoid the risk of pulling the drain out accidentally. The drain will be removed in the office at your doctor's discretion.
Hemorrhagic drainage
If the blood is dark red and steadily flowing, it may mean a vein has ruptured.
You may feel some pressure, but it shouldn't be painful. When the needle arrives at the abscess, your interventional radiologist will exchange the needle for a thin tube called a catheter to drain the infected fluid.
Large or deep surgery incisions can take 6 to 8 weeks to heal. People with medical problems or prescribed certain medications may take longer. How can I help healing?
The operation usually takes 10 to 20 minutes. Your surgeon will make a cut on your skin over the abscess. This allows the pus to drain out. Once the pus has been removed, the cavity needs to heal upwards from the inside out, so the opening in your skin is left open.
Cancer or cancer treatment can affect the fluid drainage channels of the lymphatic system. Fluid then doesn't drain in the normal way, so the area swells. About 1 in 5 people (20%) will have lymphoedema of the arm after breast cancer treatment that includes: surgery to remove lymph nodes.
Healing takes time.
Having body parts removed takes a long time to heal. Some parts of my chest still feel swollen, I had a seroma drained last month and feel like another one is forming in the same spot and there are days when I still get very, very tired. This is not a surgery with a quick recovery time.
Dry shampoo and feminine hygiene cloths or wipes were also recommended to help patients stay fresh. Most patients are told not to shower until the surgical drains are removed, so these items can help with staying clean until it's safe to resume a normal routine.
As mentioned earlier, drains are not normally used for most breast augmentation procedures. It is more common to use drains during repeat surgeries such as when hard scar tissue is removed from around an implant.