Thank you for your question. Drains serve an important purpose after tummy tuck: to prevent seroma, or fluid collection, in the area of operation. Most patients typically keep the drains for 1-2 weeks. I allow my patients to shower with the drains in place, they can be concealed beneath loose clothing, and are essentially painless to remove.
Hello Time4meTX, Thank you for your questions about how long drains stay in after a tummy tuck. This is a very common question. There is no "magic" number of days the drains stay in after a tummy tuck. Drains are removed when their output is low. Different plastic surgeons have different parameters on when drains should be removed. In my Beverly Hills plastic surgery practice, I remove drains when their output is less than 30 mL per drain over a 24 hour period for two consecutive days. If you had a "small" tummy tuck, drains are removed 7 to 10 days after surgery, on average. If you had a "large" tummy tuck, drains may stay in for 2 to 3 weeks, on average. I hope that I have answered your questions regarding how long, on average, drains stay in place after a tummy tuck. If you have any more questions regarding the tummy tuck or abdominoplasty, please contact my office. Sincerely, Dr. Katzen.
Drains are placed during a tummy tuck, because the body produces fluid in response to any injury (and the body doesn't know the difference between an injury and surgery) and this fluid needs a way out. While the body can reabsorb some of that fluid on its own, if it is producing more than it can absorb, the fluid can collect and lead to infections or contour irregularities. The drains provide a way for the extra fluid to exit the body. They are removed when their output has decreased to a certain point (meaning the body is now capable of reabsorbing all the wound fluid). In tummy tucks, the first drain can usually come out in 5-7 days and the second drain in 10-14 days.
