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3 Weeks Post Op TT Draining 50cc's a Day, What Are my Options?

I am 3 weeks post op of a full tummy tuck and breast augmentation with a lift and still with one drain in. It is starting to really be of a discomfort and painful to me. I have been healing very well. I was off of prescription pain killers by day 3, off of Tylenol by day 5. Could stand straight up by one week post op. The incision is healing very well. My movements have been very limited as advised by PS, with no help. I have had significant weight loss, but that was 3-4 years ago.

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9 Doctor Answers | Asked by klubnika in Orange County, CA

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3 Weeks after Mommy Makeover and 50 cc drain output

3 weeks and higher output still may resolve in the next week. At 4 weeks, a sclerosant could be injected.

High Drain Output after Tummy Tuck?

Sorry to hear about the continued relatively high output from your drain after tummy tuck surgery. As you can tell from the variety of responses you have received, there are many different ways to handle your situation. Your plastic surgeon will be in the best position to advise you precisely after careful clinical evaluation. In my practice, assuming there is no sign of infection around the drain site ( explaining your discomfort/pain), I would probably ask that we... more

High drain output.

Thanks for sharing. Given your situation it appears you have a lymphatic leak and if the drain is removed you develop a seroma cavity. A good option sometimes is to perform a sclerosis, which involves injection an antibiotic into the abdomen via the drain. This can create additional scar tissue and seal the leak. A side effect of the procedure is infection and pain. Lymphatic leaks tend to occur most often in weight loss patients, so it's not that unusual. Discuss all these options with your... more

Aldo Guerra, MD

63 reviews

Scottsdale Plastic Surgeon

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High Drainage Output 3 Weeks Post-Op

Thank you for the question. This is not the usual post operative course after abdominoplasty (tummy tuck). Most patients will have had their drains pulled after the first week to 10 days post-op. This persistent drainage could be indicative of other processes and therefore one needs to evaluate not just how much drainage but also the type of drainage (purulent, bloody, serous). Continue to follow up with your plastic surgeon as they may need to introduce a chemical sclerosant that will... more

High drain output at 3 weeks

Given your relatively high drain output per day, I would suggest you direct this question to your plastic surgeon. I would continue with your compression garments. Make sure your PS checks to make sure your garments are giving you adequate compression. If the drain output remains high in another week, I would likely suggestion treatment with doxycycline. One option to help decrease high drain out is to flush the drain with an antibiotic solution (doxycycline) to help scar... more

Prolonged drainage after tummy tuck

Persistent drainage 3 weeks after tummy tuck is a bit unusual. Most of my patients had their drains out by 7 to 10 days after the surgery. You may want to check with your surgeon to see if the drainage has anything unusual. How is the characteristic of the drainage? Is it clear or murky? Any foul smelling odor? Is it still bloody? Is your lower abdomen still quite swollen? Are their fluid collection under the abdominal skin? Best Wishes, Stewart Wang, MD FACS more

Drain 3 weeks after tummy tuck

Drains are inherently irritating. I remove them within 5 days of a tummy tuck. Ask your surgeon what is going on. Drains can't stay in forever. At 3 weeks, draining 50 cc a day may means the drain and suction are irritating and causing the fluid. For a patient of mine, I would culture the fluid to check for infection. I would consider injecting a small amount of sclerosant and then remove the drain. Ask your surgeon what s/he thinks is going on. Drains can't stay in... more

3 Weeks Post Op TT Draining 50cc's a Day,

Although my usual threshold is 30 cc/day for drain removal, after a certain amount of time it is reasonable to remove the drain anyway. I sometimes do a trial of sclerosis, injecting betadyne and allowing it to dwell for 15 minutes off suction, once or twice before removal. This sometimes sets up an inflammatory process that makes the edges of the fluid forming tissues stick to one another and stop secreting the fluid. Wear your binder after the drain is removed, and follow up with... more

Drain probably should come out

Hello, Thank you for the question. If you are not seeing a steady decrease in the amount of fluid the drain is putting out it may be time to pull it out. At three weeks after your surgery you are about 10-14 days past the time I usually see drains still in. After the drain is removed you should wear your abdominal binder for about 24-48 hrs straight and have your plastic surgeon check you for a seroma accumulation. It may be that you have some activity within your... more

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