How long should drain tubes stay in after breast explant surgery/capsule removal? How long does it usually take to fluff back?

Thank you for sharing your excellent question.  In most instances drainage tubes can be removed with 3-10 days of surgery.  It will largely depend on the amount of fluid that drains in 24 hour increments.  Your breast tissues will heal and soften over the following several months to leave you with your long-term appearance.  Hope this helps.

Drain tubes usually stay in until drainage is below a certain threshhold.  Often times they are removed 3-5 days after surgery.  As the breasts heal, they will begin to "fluff".  It will take a few months for you to see your final results however.

Every surgeon is different, but I like to keep my drains in until they are less than 30 cc's for 24 hours or even lower. It depends upon the procedure.

The drains can be removed after 2-3 days if the drainage is low. The final results may take few weeks. I offer my patients fat grafting at the same time to prevent too much shape and size change. Please see the link.

Generally one drain will be left in each breast. Usually they are able to be removed within a week. A good rule of thumb is when an individual drain is less than 30cc/day for 2 days in a row it is OK to be removed (although different surgeons have different cutoffs). In regards to when the breasts will "fluff back" I'm assuming you mean from during the time the drains are in place and on suction. As soon as the suction is released the breasts will resume their more natural appearance. Although the breast shape and size will continue to change from 3-6 months. That's why if the patient is willing I prefer to stage a breast lift after the breasts have settled when removing large implants that have been in place for years. 
Surjit S. Rai, MD (Dallas Plastic Surgeon) 

  I am sorry to hear about the problems you are experiencing. You will find that the use of drains will vary from one practice to another. In my practice, I do generally use drains when breast implants are removed.   I removed the drains when their outputs are low.  On average, drains are removed four to seven days after the surgery. Patience is definitely indicated after removal of breast implants; it will take many months/year for the skin to “bounce back” and for you to see the final appearance of the breasts.
In "borderline" cases where there is doubt whether breast lifting is necessary or not, I advise patients to undergo explantation only and to give their breasts the benefit of the doubt  before deciding whether breast lifting would be beneficial.  
 I hope this, and the attached link (dedicated to breast implant removal surgery concerns) helps. Best wishes.

I keep my drains in my patients until the fluid becomes straw coloured and drains less than 30mL per day.  This is usually between 3 and 7 days after the surgery. The drainage appears to be more in patients with larger implants, hard capsules and leaking implants. Removing old breast implants and their associated capsules generates a large raw surface area under your breast that produces a lot of blood and serous ooze. The drains help to siphon this inflammatory fluid away so that your implants can quickly stick and settle into their new position.