4 days post-op and I'm getting burning from my drain sites from the tubing pulling, how can I avoid this?

Question

How do I dress my own wounds to make them more comfortable from the pulling / burning sensation

Babak Moeinolmolki, MD, FACS · Answer

I agree with Drs. DePerro and Lofgren that using simple 4x4 gauze for padding and a lanyard holder tend to make an uncomfortable necessity more bearable. Searching "drain lanyard" on Pinterest will give you an idea. They can be simple to create on your own. In addition Tylenol can also help with the discomfort.
Best wishes,

Michael S. Lofgren, MD · Answer

Thanks for your question.
Congratulations on your recent surgery.  The pain and burning you are experiencing from your drains is a common issue.  They serve a very important purpose but are frequently a major source of irritation for patients.  
What I recommend to my patients is to gently clean around the drain sites daily with water.  Avoid hydrogen peroxide.  This can irritate the skin edges.  Next, gently dry and put some antibiotic ointment around the drain exit site.  Bacitracin zinc is our first choice but there are many options.  Just find one that does not cause you to break out.  Then cover with a gauze dressing.  You can make your own drain sponge by taking a regular 4x4 gauze and cutting a slit half way across the gauze.  This allows it to fit around the drain tube and lay flat on your skin.  Secure this with a tape that's gentle on your skin like paper or silicone tape.  
Make sure the drain is not pulling on the suture or skin.  You have some options for this as well.  You can safety pin the collection bulbs to your clothing or even better is get a lanyard to go around your neck which you can attach the bulbs to.  This keeps them from hanging down and pulling.  Hope this helps.  
Best wishes.

Chad Robbins, MD · Answer

Hello and thank you for your question.  This is a common complaint with drains unfortunately.  I recommend applying a dab of triple antibiotic ointment covered by split 4x4 gauze (you can cut it your self half way down the middle) and slide the gauze around the tube and use paper tape to hold in place.  Some will use a lanyard as well but typically in the shower for convenience.   The gauze helps keep the tube from moving which irritates the surrounding skin.

Michael P. DePerro III, MD · Answer

As someone who does a significant number of panniculectomies I can tell you that pain around the drains is the number one complaint.  My best advice is to try to bolster/pad the drain site with 4x4's and pin the actual drain bulb to a lanyard around your next.  This will make it easier when you're showering and you're less likely to pull the drains out compared to having them pinned to your shirt or binder.  Good luck and congratulations on how far you've come.

4 days post-op and I'm getting burning from my drain sites from the tubing pulling, how can I avoid this?

Answers (4)

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