3 Weeks Post Op TT Draining 50cc's a Day, What Are my Options?

Thanks for sharing. Given your situation it appears you have a lymphatic leak and if the drain is removed you develop a seroma cavity. A good option sometimes is to perform a sclerosis, which involves injection an antibiotic into the abdomen via the drain. This can create additional scar tissue and seal the leak. A side effect of the procedure is infection and pain. Lymphatic leaks tend to occur most often in weight loss patients, so it's not that unusual. Discuss all these options with your PS. Hope this helps - Dr. Aldo.

The vast majority of mommy makeover patients have their
drains removed within two weeks of their surgical procedure.  We generally wait until the drainage has
dropped below 25cc in a 24 hour period. 
Unfortunately, some patients have persistent drainage for longer periods
of time.  In some cases we’ve seen
patients drain for four to six weeks. 
When this situation arises we worry about the potential for infection,
since these drains are a two way street.

                When
this situation arises we continue the use of compression garments and minimize
activity levels.  Rarely sclerosing
agents are used to decrease drainage. 
Occasionally none of these treatments work and the surgeon is left with
a difficult decision.  In these cases,
drains may actually stimulate drainage. 
Under these circumstances the surgeon may elect to pull the drains even
though the drainage is still high.  If
fluid accumulates percutaneous aspirations can be used to address the
problem.   It’s important to maintain
close contact with your surgeon.  Your
surgeon should be able to formulate a treatment plan that successfully manages
this problem.

 

    3 weeks and higher output still may resolve in the next week.  At 4 weeks, a sclerosant could be injected.