Malfunctioning Drain After Facelift

Drain malfunctioning usually means that the fluids it is supposed to transport does not run. Drains can clogg, kink or be blocked by a suture or by resting against tissue. Some surgeons believe that drains are a must for every facelift. Others only sometimes use it and then they are facelift surgeons (including myself) who never use drains.

That your drain gave you trouble does not mean you are over-sensitive to it or that it is something specific to you.

The fact that your drain malfunctioned has nothing to do with the anesthesia used.  Drains occasionally malfunction.  Fortunately seems like you did not have a hematoma.

Facelift drains can malfunction for several reasons:


Drain is not inserted deeply enough-most common problem

The suction bulb loses suction or becomes full

The drain is kinked or compressed and unable to exert suction

A blood clot forms in the drain and blocks the drain

The drain falls or is pulled out because it was not secured in place by a suture


Most commonly the drain is not inserted deep enough so that one drainage hole is outside the skin, sucking air and no suction is present inside the facial skin. This can happen with frequent head movement (common in local anesthesia) during and after the procedure especially if the drain was not sutured tightly to the skin top prevent movement of the drain.