How long does it take for drains to come out after a Tummy Tuck?

Hello pradomaria85-Drains generally need to stay in until drainage is less than 30cc or so for a day or two. Every surgeon uses a different guideline and you need to ask your surgeon. You can help hasten getting to this endpoint by minimizing fluid intake and not moving your abdomen, if okay with your doctor. To be thorough for all other readers of this explanation, some of us surgeons no longer use drains, because the abdominal tissues can be sutured to the abdominal wall and minimize the need for drains. But drains also work well and they will be out soon!Good luck.

Every patient has different output so rather than being based on time its based on how much is coming out.  Typically less than 20 in 24 hour period is good but every PS is different and also dependent on how much drainage you have.  Your PS will likely get them out by 2 weeks.

Hello, every surgeon will have different criteria for drain removal.  I don't commonly use drains for tummy tuck surgery but when they are used, I usually remove them once the output is less than 40cc per 24 hours, and never leave them longer than 2 weeks.  I advise my patients not to shower until all drains have been removed for 24 hours.  It is important to obtain this specific advice from your PS since their recommendations may differ.

I usually take out the first drain within the first week.  The second one comes out usually within 2 weeks.  In certain cases, I will do the surgery without drains.

Dear pradomariaHow long drains stay in varies based on many factors. The general rule of thumb is less than 30cc of fluid drained per 24hrs. If you are thin and no liposuction was performed, you can probably have drains removed in 4-5 days. With larger patients, there is more drainage and when you add liposuction, the amount of drainage significantly increases. In my experienced the average case, drains are removed at 1 week. Patients with massive weight loss often need their drains for longer. As you can tell from the range of answers there are many ways to get excellent results.