Drainage after Liposuction? (photos)

Question

I had my smart liposuction on my arms 5 days ago, tomorrow is my 6th day post surgery and two of my incision are still leaking watery fulid, its not reddish anymore. is this still normal? i want it to stop already so i can go back to may normal routine!! :(

Marco A. Pelosi III, MD, FACOG, FACS · Answer

It's normal to drain for a few days after lipo. If you're still draining and without signs of infection, make sure your compression garment is tight enough. I sometimes see patients draining up to 1 week after surgery if they are receiving aggressive massage therapy.

Brian K. Reedy, MD · Answer

Hi & thank you for your question.It is common to drain from the incision sites for a few days. It should decrease and eventually stop. If you are concerned contact your surgeon to have him/her take at look. Best of luck adn enjoy your resuklts!

Young R. Cho, MD, PhD · Answer

Thank you for your question.  It is normal for incision sites to drain, and they may continue to do so for days, although the amount of drainage should go down with each day.  Some surgeons suture the drain sites to minimize this, while others may leave it open to encourage drainage (and hence swelling reduction),  I would visit with your plastic surgeon to help you manage this concern.

Jason Emer, MD · Answer

You can have drainage for a while, I suggest you see your physician to ensure there is no seroma and that you have adequate compression. I would suggest lymphatic massage at this point and venus legacy treatments which is what we do in our practice.  Best, Dr. Emer.

Erika Sato, MD, FACS · Answer

As part of liposuction, tumescent fluid is injected into the area first before fat is suctioned out. It is normal to have drainage for a few days after the surgery. This drainage usually starts out bloody then turns to red water (think cherry kool-aid) then yellow water (kind of like urine). Fluid drainage can also be a sign of infection, so make sure you have your PS look at the drainage to ensure it is just the tumescent coming out still.

Scott Gulinson, MD · Answer

This is not totally uncommon result of liposuction but you should return to your surgeon to be sure there is no signs of infection.  Usually this will resolve on its own and heal well.   Best of luck!

Darryl J. Blinski, MD · Answer

Melted fat drainage could take a few weeks to subside. Best to discuss with your chosen surgeon.........

Steven M. Gitt, MD, FACS (in memoriam) · Answer

Mast patients drainage drops off after 2-3 days. Yours is just taking longer but the fact that the drainage is tapering off is a good sign. In the absence of any of the cardinal signs or symptoms of infection (fevers, chills, crescendo spin, red streaks etc.) it is unlikely that you have any kind of infection. Be sure to follow up with your ABPS certified Plastic Surgeon and be aware that many docs portray themselves as "Plastic Surgeons" without the necessary training, credentials, and without actually putting in the hard work to become a Plastic Surgeon! This is a buyer beware zone in Plastic Surgery. Good luck!

Robert L. True, MD, FACOG, FACS (in memoriam) · Answer

Fluid leakage after SmartLipo or any Liposuction may take a number of days to go away. Since the incision appears good and no suggestion of infection is present, I would just keep using a pad and it should resolve spontaneously over the next week or so. If the wound or arm starts to hurt and becomes red, you may be developing an infection and you should talk with your doctor about this for treatment.

Drainage after Liposuction? (photos)

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