I had liquid (tumescent) lipo 7 days ago and have 1 incision that is still draining - should I be worried?

Question

The incision is 1 of 4 on my lower abdomen 2 of which are stitched closed. All incisions are covered by water proof dressing. The one that is draining did stop initially, then restarted a couple of days after surgery, I was told it should stop over the weekend, but it is still draining, more than before - I cleaned it after a shower, pressed above it to release a fair amount of liquid, after it slowed down I cleaned it again and replaced the waterproof dressing which filled within minutes.

Gary Lawton, MD, FACS · Answer

There are some surgeons that do not close any of the incisions, which allows the fluid to drain more completely, reducing the bruising and accelerating the outcome.  What you are describing sounds perfectly fine.

Scott W. Vann, MD, FACS · Answer

It is unusual to have drainage after the first 2-3 days. However, if you have no unusual pain or other signs of infection and drainage is clear, it is probably okay. Call your surgeon and get checked out for sure.

Joel B. Singer, MD · Answer

This is unusual and may be a seroma or an infection.If you have fever and the drainage smells bad and the drainage is not clear, you may have an infection. The area around the drainage may be a deep dark red and be more painful to touch than the rest of the treated area. You should see your doctor right away if this is the case.A seroma may be the cause as well; the fluid would be clear or yellowish and not have a foul odor. Seromas will often go away on their own, but your surgeon may be able to speed up the process by extracting seroma fluid (serous fluid) from your wound with a syringe.Good luck in your recovery and I hope you are getting good results from your procedure.

Francisco Canales, MD · Answer

Most drainage stops within 72 hours, so if it is still draining I would suggest a quick visit back to your doctor to make sure there is no infection or seroma.  Best of luck.

Steven Wallach, MD · Answer

I think that it is best to see your surgeon to be properly evaluated if you have persistent drainage at one week. Good luck.

Mats Hagstrom, MD (license on probation) · Answer

It's better to drain fluid out than build up fluid underneath your skin.Fluid buildup after liposuction is called a seroma. The fluid leaking out is preventing you from developing one. It will eventually slow down and seal up and stop draining. We typically use absorbent pads to collect the drainage. They encourage all the fluid to come out and are  easy to work with.Keep in touch with your plastic surgeon.Best of luck,Mats Hagstrom, M.D.

I had liquid (tumescent) lipo 7 days ago and have 1 incision that is still draining - should I be worried?

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