What Should I Expect from Drainage Fluid After Liposuction?

If you are having fluid drainage that smells bad you need to call your surgeon. It is possible that you have an infection though this is extremely rare. 

If you are having drainage, more than a day after, and if it's malodorous, please contact your surgeon to be seen and checked out. If the area has become painful, or more painful that it has, you should be seen right away.

I perform these procedures every week and usually the drainage is mixed with a small amount of blood that will lead to an odor.   If it is concerning at all please call your doctor.

The vast majority of Plastic surgeons perform TUMESCENT liposuction. In this procedure, the fat is injected with large volumes of a physiologic solution (Saline or Ringer's Lactate) mixed with adrenaline (to reduce bleeding) and a local anesthetic (for more comfort after the surgery). All of this fluid is NOT removed by liposuction and needs to be removed by the body. For this reason, to reduce swelling some surgeons leave the liposuction holes open (to allow for this fluid and blood) to come out while a minority prefer to use drains ( to control where this fluid runs out). It appears your surgeon prefers to leave the holes open.
Every surgeon has his/her preferred recovery protocol. I like my patients to shower within 36-48 hours because they feel a lot better. Your surgeon may not want you to do so.
Regardless - anytime the topic of stinky drainage is mentioned you need to start thinking about a possible infection. Rather than diagnosing it yourself, contact your surgeon and have him/her tell you what is going on. Do NOT delay doing this. It may be nothing or it may be a significant complication.