Why can't you shower with your drains in after a tummy tuck?

Thank you for your question. There’s no reason why not to shower with a drain in place. I have my patients shower within 24 hours if they are up to it, but most elect to wait 2-3 days. I tell them that they can hang the drain with a string around their neck, so it won’t tag on the drain insertion site. Go ahead get cleaned up! You’ll feel 100% better.

Every surgeon has their own ideas about showering with or without the drains.  I allow my patients to shower with the drains after 48 hours of surgery.  I ask them to wash around the drains with soap and water to help keep the area clean and lower bacterial count.I would discuss this with your plastic surgeons office as every surgeon has their own protocol.Hope that helps.

Dear misskaymae88,every plastic surgeon has his own postoperative protocol which he recommends to his patients. I would suggest you to discuss this with your plastic surgeon.Daniel Barrett, MD
Certified, American Board of Plastic Surgery
Member, American Society of Plastic Surgery
Member, American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery

Thank you for your question.When showering after a tummy tuck it is very important to follow the specific directions of your physician. After a tummy tuck your wound is fresh so a dry environment will help it heal faster. You don’t want to shower because it usually causes bacteria from breast to run down to your stomach and cause complications. Best thing to do is sponge baths which is just as effective as a shower. I usually instruct my patients on how to do a proper sponge bath on themselves prior to leaving the facility.

Thank you for your question.  Every Plastic surgeon has their own postoperative instruction.  That being said, all of my patients are allowed to shower 24 hours after their surgery to prevent Infection even with the drains in. I recommend following up or contacting the surgeon who operated on you for postoperative care. Best of luck with your recovery.