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What Determines the Amount of Time Drains are Kept in Post Tummy Tuck?

asked 8 months ago by MissDeevah in New Jersey
Latest answer by Tom J. Pousti, MD
Question viewed 229 times
Tags: drains, timing

does the more fat you have removed after a tummy tuck determine the amount of time the drains are kept in , or does it just go by how well your body heals as an individual?

12 answers to What Determines the Amount of Time Drains are Kept in Post Tummy Tuck?

Drains after tummy tucks

Most drains will be left in 3-5 days until there is less than one once or 30 cc per day. liposuction sometimes increases the time

Jed H. Horowitz, MD
Orange County Plastic Surgeon

Drains After a Tummy Tuck

When to remove them is determined by how much fluid is coming out. I typically am looking for two things. First that the fluid becomes more clear or watery, with less blood. Secondly, it is volume. I look for 20-25 cc's per drain over 24 hours before I remove them. Excessive activity after the tummy tuck can cause more fluid and prolong the time. Even after waiting for those parameters, fluid can still accumulate after the drains are removed. The majority of the time that small amount... more

Julio Garcia, MD
Las Vegas Plastic Surgeon

What Determines the Amount of Time Drains are Kept in Post Tummy Tuck?

As you can read the majority expert posters believe the amount in each drain should be less than 20 to 30 cc's in a 24 hour period. Accurate recording of the amounts is needed to help determine when the drain can be removed or "pulled"

Darryl J. Blinski, MD
Miami Plastic Surgeon

Drains for tummy tucks and what determines how long they are in

The factor that determines how long drains remain in after a tummy tuck is the volume of drainage that occurs in a given period of time, typically over 24 hr periods of time. Some plastic surgeons will remove a drain when the amount gets below 20cc in a 24hr period for at least a day or so; others use 25cc or even more. There are many factors that affect this including even the persons level of activity which does vary from day to day.

Steven Turkeltaub, MD
Scottsdale Plastic Surgeon

www.turkeltaub.com

Amount Of Drainage Determines Time To Remove Drains

The volume of fluid which drains during a 24 hour period typically determines when a drain is removed following a tummy tuck or any other surgery (breast reduction, for example). I tend to remove drains when the volume reaches around 30cc for a 24 hour period. In general patients undergoing tummy tucks at or near their ideal weight usually have the drains removed a bit earlier than those wo are not.

John Whitt, MD
Louisville Plastic Surgeon

Drains after tummy tuck

Drains are kept in as long as necessary and are removed usually once the fluid output has dropped below a certain threshold. That typically takes about 2 weeks, but depends on a lot of factors such as the size of the surgical space, how much fat tissue there is, how active and patient is postoperatively, and sometimes diet/salt intake and other factors that we can't predict. Having said that, I rarely use drains for tummy tucks now and utilitze internal progressive... more

Michelle Spring, MD
Marina Del Rey Plastic Surgeon

Drains for abdominoplasty

Dear Miss Deevah, I no longer utilize drains when I do an abdominoplasty. I find that internal quilting sutures make them unnecessary. When I used to use drains, they were kept in place until they were done doing their job which is usually when the drain output is 25-30 ccs per day.

Craig Harrison, MD
Tyler Plastic Surgeon

Tummy Tucks and Drains

Drains are often used after tummy tucks (abdominoplasty) to prevent fluid from accumulating under the skin and to allow the skin to adhere to the muscle wall. How long they are left in depends on how much fluid is coming out and on your plastic surgeons experience. Sometimes additional sutures are placed during surgery to help the skin stick, and no drains are used. Additional support with an abdominal binder can help decrease the time needed for drains. While these can help decrease the... more

Joseph Mele, MD
Walnut Creek Plastic Surgeon

Tummy Tuck Drains

In my practice, I will remove the drains when the output is less than 30 cc in 24 hours. This is generally 7-10 days. This is completely individualized, although I have found that heavier individuals seem to keep the drains longer.

Brian Klink, MD
Sacramento Plastic Surgeon

www.solanoplasticsurgery.com

Tummy Tuck or Abdominoplasty Drain Duration

After surgery the drains are kept in place in order to lower the risk of seroma or fluid collections. In my practice the time is related to how much volume is coming from the drains. Once the drainage has decreased enough then theoretically, your body can accept and reabsorb the smaller amount of drainage on its own. This time is often 2 or 3 weeks.

Jeff Scott, MD
Everett Plastic Surgeon

Tummy tuck drains

Drains are placed in a tummy tuck to prevent a collection of fluid made by your body from separating the skin/fat layer from healing back to the muscle layer. The drain is in as long as it needs to be (I like under 25 cc for 24 hour period). As the output goes down, this is a sign of internal healing between the tissues.

Richard P. Rand, MD, FACS
Seattle Plastic Surgeon

Drain Removal with Tummy Tuck Surgery

Thank you for your question. I agree that drains can be removed when the fluid coming out of the drains is 20cc or less. The average amount of time that a patient has drains after tummy tuck surgery is 1-3 weeks. Usually, with more activity, more fluid will accumulate. I hope this is helpful.