How Comfortable or Uncomfortable Are the Drains Used for Breast Reduction?

I rarely use drains nowadays unless the reduction is very excessive.  

Even when used,  a round drain is not very uncomfortable and is easily removed.

Depending upon the technique and the surgeon, drains are not necessarily needed for a breast reduction. Drains are used to remove fluid from a "dead space" such as during a tummy tuck to prevent fluid accumulation and help the skin to adhere to the abdominal wall.However in a breast reduction they are not necessarily as useful. I personally do not use drains for a breast reduction and have not seen any seromas (fluid buildup).

Consult with a board certified plastic surgeon for more details regarding  the use of drains in breast reductions.

Best wishes,

Dr.Bruno

I disagree with some of my colleagues. I routinely use drains in breast reduction surgery and have performed approximately 1500 such procedures. The purpose of the drains is to prevent accumulation of serous fluid which could otherwise disrupt the surgical scar, which would then create an open wound which would have to close secondarily. The drains are not uncomfortable and they are removed in the office easily several days after the procedure. I find that patients have tremendous trepidation about the drains which they later say was unfounded. Let me note that many patients come to me because of my expertise with large reductions and that the greater the extent of the surgery, the more likely it is that drains will be required.

The use of drains for breast reduction surgery is variable from plastic surgeon to plastic surgeon, so I believe their use may not be as important as was once thought.

In most cases, I still use soft suction drains and remove them after a few days, as I see advantages to removing the tissue fluid and/or blood that might accumulate.

These drains are not painful and slide out easily and with minimal discomfort when they are removed.

 

be left in place for more than 24 hours.  The drains are placed at the time of surgery, and they are made out of soft material, and function to remove any build up of fluid after surgery.  Most people are not bothered at all by simply having drains in place for a short period of time, and any discomfort associated with removing the drains can be minimized by using a local anesthetic at the time that the drains are removed.