What You Need to Know About Tummy Tuck Drains

When you turn to Dr. Kimberly A. Henry for your plastic surgery needs, you can expect more than just world-class results in a comfortable, state-of-the-art facility. You can expect to be guided through the details of your procedure with clarity and compassion by one of the foremost experts on cosmetic surgery of the face, breast, and body in the United States. Throughout her career, she has been a champion for honest, straightforward patient education, giving her patients all of the information they need to make confident decisions regarding their plastic surgery treatment.

This means setting realistic expectations about what to expect both in terms of results and recovery from surgery. For patients who are interested in undergoing abdominoplasty, popularly known as “tummy tuck” surgery, at Dr. Henry’s plastic surgery practice in San Francisco, tummy tuck drains are explained in detail during initial consultations. The need for tummy tuck drains after abdominoplasty is representative of the sort of detail that people may not think about when considering the procedure, but should absolutely know about before committing to it. The more you know about every phase of the procedure in which you are interested, beyond the obvious benefits you are craving, the more able you will be to make the decision that is right for you.

What Are Tummy Tuck Drains?

After any major surgical procedure – and tummy tuck definitely qualifies as a major surgical procedure – the body produces fluids at the treatment site to aid in healing. Much of this fluid is surplus to the needs of the body and must therefore be drained off. To ensure the efficient draining of these fluids, Dr. Henry places surgical drains in incisions made directly below the incisions used to perform the tummy tuck. The surgical drains are clear tubes with bulbs at one end that are used to collect the fluids. These bulbs are to be emptied regularly, as advised by Dr. Henry. For the sake of convenience, the bulbs can be pinned to the clothing or a special belt.

How Long Do the Drains Stay in Place?

Just how long the drains are necessary depends on the patient’s healing abilities and the type of tummy tuck that he or she underwent. Some patients require a single drain for as few as five to seven days. Others require two drains for up to two weeks. The point at which the drains can be removed is determined by the amount of fluid that is collected in the bulbs each day after surgery. Once the amount is sufficiently low, Dr. Henry will evaluate the surgical site to determine whether the drains can safely be removed.

Tummy tuck drains are essential to proper healing in that they help to prevent seromas, or collections of excess fluids in the body. Seromas take the form of aesthetically unappealing and sometimes painful bulges at the treatment site. Continual draining of the excess fluids helps to keep these bulges from forming.

Learn More about Tummy Tuck Surgery Recovery

To learn more about tummy tuck surgery or the post-surgical recovery period, please contact the plastic surgery practice of Dr. Kimberly A. Henry today.