I had a consult between 2 doctors for tummy tuck lipo breast reduction and fat transfer. One uses drains and the other does not.
Answer: Limit the use of drains I think all plastic surgeons like to limit the use of drains. They are really inconvenient and annoying for our patients. Personally in a breast reduction ,unless it is a massive reduction, I do not use drains. I found it works out just fine without any drains. For an abdominoplasty , however ,I have done it with and without drains and I’ve gone back to using just one drain now. The main reason I use the drain is because I put all my tummy tucks on a blood thinner postoperatively to prevent blood clots which can move to the heart and lungs and kill you. As a result a drain will let both the patient and me know if they are bleeding postoperatively while on the blood thinner. Just like to be safe.
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Answer: Limit the use of drains I think all plastic surgeons like to limit the use of drains. They are really inconvenient and annoying for our patients. Personally in a breast reduction ,unless it is a massive reduction, I do not use drains. I found it works out just fine without any drains. For an abdominoplasty , however ,I have done it with and without drains and I’ve gone back to using just one drain now. The main reason I use the drain is because I put all my tummy tucks on a blood thinner postoperatively to prevent blood clots which can move to the heart and lungs and kill you. As a result a drain will let both the patient and me know if they are bleeding postoperatively while on the blood thinner. Just like to be safe.
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Answer: Drains can be very mandatory to reduce the likelihood or post-operative seroma formation Hi there, thank you for this great question. Generally speaking I don’t use drains. For a breast reduction I do not leave drains. For a tummy tuck, I do leave a drain in for about a week. Drains can be very mandatory to reduce the likelihood or post-operative seroma formation which is a large fluid accumulation that happens between the skin flap and the muscle. If you get a seroma, it has to be aspriated after surgery, which prolongs healing and recovery time.
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Answer: Drains can be very mandatory to reduce the likelihood or post-operative seroma formation Hi there, thank you for this great question. Generally speaking I don’t use drains. For a breast reduction I do not leave drains. For a tummy tuck, I do leave a drain in for about a week. Drains can be very mandatory to reduce the likelihood or post-operative seroma formation which is a large fluid accumulation that happens between the skin flap and the muscle. If you get a seroma, it has to be aspriated after surgery, which prolongs healing and recovery time.
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November 7, 2018
Answer: Drains following surgery The benefit of drains is that they will help prevent fluid collections at the operative site. The down side is that they are inconvenient and sometimes even painful at the drain site. The use of drains by a specific surgeon is a personal choice based on their own experience. I personally would NOT chose my surgeon based on this criteria alone. The drains (if used) will be out in a few days but the results from your surgery (good or bad) will last a lifetime. I would chose my surgeon based on reviews, recommendation of local medical providers, board certification, whether they operate in an accredited facility ...., NOT whether or not they use drains.
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November 7, 2018
Answer: Drains following surgery The benefit of drains is that they will help prevent fluid collections at the operative site. The down side is that they are inconvenient and sometimes even painful at the drain site. The use of drains by a specific surgeon is a personal choice based on their own experience. I personally would NOT chose my surgeon based on this criteria alone. The drains (if used) will be out in a few days but the results from your surgery (good or bad) will last a lifetime. I would chose my surgeon based on reviews, recommendation of local medical providers, board certification, whether they operate in an accredited facility ...., NOT whether or not they use drains.
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October 18, 2018
Answer: Drains? In my years of practice I have found that the benefit of having drains outweighs the inconvenience that they may cause.They in many cases expedite recovery by limiting fluid accumulation. They can be an indicator of bleeding or infection post operatively. Of course not all cases require a drain but if your surgeon feels that they are necessary in a given case I would not discourage the doc from using them.
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October 18, 2018
Answer: Drains? In my years of practice I have found that the benefit of having drains outweighs the inconvenience that they may cause.They in many cases expedite recovery by limiting fluid accumulation. They can be an indicator of bleeding or infection post operatively. Of course not all cases require a drain but if your surgeon feels that they are necessary in a given case I would not discourage the doc from using them.
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July 29, 2018
Answer: Drains Drains are used to collect fluids during the healing process. They are typically in for 1-2 weeks following surgery, although that varies by patient. They are occasionally mildly uncomfortable and do require minor care (emptying, etc). Most patients do vary well with them. When not used there is a chance that the fluid typically removed by the drains will collect in a pocket and need to be aspirated.
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July 29, 2018
Answer: Drains Drains are used to collect fluids during the healing process. They are typically in for 1-2 weeks following surgery, although that varies by patient. They are occasionally mildly uncomfortable and do require minor care (emptying, etc). Most patients do vary well with them. When not used there is a chance that the fluid typically removed by the drains will collect in a pocket and need to be aspirated.
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July 26, 2018
Answer: What are the pros and cons to having or not having drains? I definitely would not select your PS based upon the presence or absence of drains. I would search for the board certified PS who you feel is most likely to give you the best results and who performs hundreds of these procedures each year. I would look at patient reviews as well as before and after photos on that PS's website.PS have their own preferences for using/not using drains based upon years of training, experience, and education. I use drains in very few procedures. If you have a fluid collection that needs to be drained after a TT, this can compromise the incision and healing.Kenneth Hughes, MD, ABPS Board Certified Plastic SurgeonLos Angeles, CA
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July 26, 2018
Answer: What are the pros and cons to having or not having drains? I definitely would not select your PS based upon the presence or absence of drains. I would search for the board certified PS who you feel is most likely to give you the best results and who performs hundreds of these procedures each year. I would look at patient reviews as well as before and after photos on that PS's website.PS have their own preferences for using/not using drains based upon years of training, experience, and education. I use drains in very few procedures. If you have a fluid collection that needs to be drained after a TT, this can compromise the incision and healing.Kenneth Hughes, MD, ABPS Board Certified Plastic SurgeonLos Angeles, CA
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