Blood clotting in my drains, is this normal?

It is common to see a thin strand of clotted blood within a closed surgical suction drain, especially at the connection to the reservoir bulb.  Usually this doesn’t block the drain, and blood flows around these strands.  I think these thin clotted strands  probably form due to the slow blood flow in the drains.  They are not a sign of clots within your blood vessels.

Hi there and thanks for your question! Yes, it is common for blood to begin clotting in the drain tubes if the blood is static. I recommend taking an alcohol pad and milking the drains to force the clot and remaining blood into the bulb.  I suggest calling or seeing your plastic surgeon for his/her advice...best of luck! 

Don’t panic. Clots in drains are common and don’t necessarily mean you are in a hypercoaguable (pro-clotting) state. We have our patients strip drains if they clot, but I would touch base with your surgeon before manipulating the drains if it hasn’t been discussed. 

Greetings MsAbril.I suggest you talk to your plastic surgeon about your drains and the blood clots in your drain tubes. Generally speaking, small clots can be seen in the drain under normal circumstances, but on post op day #1 if there's always a concern about bleeding - therefore, your doctor needs to know! If the output of the drain is low then that's good news versus high outputs. Talk to your PS. Good luck and congratulations!Dr. ALDO 

Dear MsAbril,
It is normal to have some clotting in your drain bulbs/tubes.  However, I would recommend to contact your PS for exam/evalutation to fully assess your post operative situation.  Good luck and hope this helps!