Q-tip cotton stuck in drain site. Should I go to the emergency?

Question

I had my surgery done in Florida but I live in North Carolina I had to remove my drains after 10 days I developed a lot of fluid so I went back a few days later and got another drain put in. After 9 days I took the third one out . I poked a Q-tip in the drain hole to keep it open to drain some fluid and while doing this the tip of the Q-tip cotton got stuck I tried to ever to get it out with a pair of medical grade tweezers but it won't come out. should I go to the emergency

Steven Wallach, MD · Answer

It sounds like you should contact your surgeon or go to an emergency room to see if the q-tip can be retrieved.  best of luck.

Erika Sato, MD, FACS · Answer

Leaving the foreign body inside your body cavity will likely lead to complications such as infection etc. It is never a good idea to poke an open wound with a non-sterile pair of tweezers you have at home. You could infect the seroma that you have. The problem with going to the ER is they may not feel comfortable getting this out for you. If that is the case, they will call a surgeon or plastic surgeon to do this. That means you will incur not only the ER bill but also the bill from the surgeon. Your insurance may not cover complications related to cosmetic surgery. Have you spoken with your plastic surgeon in Florida?

Q-tip cotton stuck in drain site. Should I go to the emergency?

Answers (2)