How long does drains stay in after liposuction? Aren't drains not commonly used in liposuction procedures?

Some physicians still use drains post liposuction, especially if they suture the incision sites closed.  I never use drains, but when I have in the past I removed them by the 3rd day.  They can stay in longer, at the discretion of the physician.  I wish you the best of luck, Dr. Emer.

I'm not exactly sure what sort of liposuction would even permit the placement drains. This is certainly not a conventional way of dealing with the postoperative situation.

Thank you for your question. In my opinion, for small volume liposuction drains are not needed. However, I find drains helpful in large volume liposuction especially when performing BBL (Brazilian Butt Lifts) as liposuction is performed circumferentially around the trunk and large volume of fat is being removed. I don't think it will affect the ultimate result of the procedure but in high volume, in my opinion it gets rid of the swelling faster than not using drains. 

I hope this helps. Best wishes! (Dr. Salameh, Plastic Surgeon, Bowling Green, KY)