Is It Common to Have a Drain in 2 Months After a Tummy Tuck?

Question

Left drain was removed a little over 2 weeks ago since fluid was under 25 cc, drainage was green, was told they had never seen that before. Swab taken of area, small amount of bacteria present, antibiotics switched from Keflex to Cipro. Lower abdomen still considerably swollen.

Raffy Karamanoukian, MD, FACS · Answer

Drains usually stay in for about 2 weeks after surgery, but can rarely stay in longer. The green fluid may represent a remnant of the blue marking dye used for the plication.

Otto Joseph Placik, MD · Answer

This is quite uncommon but some individuals do demonstrate persistent or greater than average amounts of drainage. You should ensure that there is no foreign body which is responsible for this. Otherwise it is likely to resolve but rarely requires surgical ablation of the pseudocyst.

Vincent N. Zubowicz, MD · Answer

I'm surprised to hear that drains have been left in for 2 months after a tummy tuck. I can't say that this is unnecessarily long but I have never heard of them being in that long after an uncomplicated abdominoplasty.

Jose M. Soler-Baillo, MD, MS · Answer

In my practice we remove the drains between 5 and 7 days after surgery. If there is excessive fluid still draining after that time, one needs to examine the cause. Keeping the drains in at this point will probably not treat the cause, and might act as a conduit for bacteria to enter the body. If there is bacterial contamination of a seroma cavity (fluid filled space), antibiotics will not be able to clear the bacteria, and the area needs to be cleaned up surgically and closed again.

William Bruno, MD · Answer

Prolonged drainage from one of your drains is rare, but can happen after a tummy tuck. Your surgeon can inject some medications ( such as Doxycycline) through the drain which can create some inflammation which can help close the space and decrease the drainage.  If this fails, you may require surgery to remove the lining of the seroma (fluid collection) inside your abdomen and possible have some sutures placed to close off the "dead space".

	Consult with a board certified plastic surgeon for treatment options for this difficult problem.

	Best wishes,

	Dr. Bruno

York Jay Yates, MD · Answer

Hello Deb,

	It would be a little unusual to leave a drain in for 2 months after a tummy tuck.  I generally do not leave a drain any longer than 3 weeks, usually 5 days to 2 weeks.  If there is a concern of infection associated with a drain, in my opinion this would be a reason to remove it.  A drain is a foreign body.  Bacteria love foreign bodies.

Tom J. Pousti, MD · Answer

Thank you for the question.

	By far, most drains are removed within the first month after tummy tuck surgery. However, it is not unheard of to require the drain for a longer period of time. As long as you are followed closely by your plastic surgeon you will likely be just fine in the long run.

	Best wishes.

Steven Wallach, MD · Answer

I usually remove drains after about a week for most abdominoplasties, and a bit longer for massive weight loss patients.

Marisa Lawrence, MD · Answer

Drains are a "double-edged sword" - they are needed to remove seroma fluid after abdominoplasty but can also be a source of infection if they are left in too long. I generally keep my patients on oral antibiotics for as long as they have a drain. The longest I have had to keep a drain in place after abdominoplasty is 4 weeks.

Robert Brueck, MD · Answer

Sometimes we feel "drained." Then too with a tummy tuck we almost always use a drain.I will usually leave the drain in for about 4-6 days and when the drainage is less than 25cc per 24 hours I pull it so for it to be in 2 months is unusual to say the least.i think leaving the drain in sometimes creates drainage because it is a foreign body.

Is It Common to Have a Drain in 2 Months After a Tummy Tuck?

Answers (11)