How to care for drains post plastic surgery?
The surgical drains look like small grenades (about the size of a fist) and have fluid measure markers around the outside. The drains are connected by a drainage tube that extends from the incision and sutured into place, so it doesn’t accidentally slip out and leak. Drains prevent body fluid from collecting at your surgical site.
After your surgery, the colour will be like blood. This is normal. As your surgical site heals over the next several days, the drainage can progress to a light pink, light yellow, or clear consistency. The drain will stay in place until less than 30ml of fluid can be collected in a 24-hour period. This can take anywhere from 5 to 10 days, depending on the surgery. Everyone’s drainage is different.
Before you are discharged from the hospital, the nurse will show you how to empty the drains and measure the fluid. Initially, you will need to empty the bulb twice daily. As the output decreases, you can switch to emptying the drain once a day. You will need to keep a log and bring it with you so I can decide if the drain can be removed. Drain removal is not painful.
You need to avoid bathing in a tub when you have an incision that has not completely healed or a drain in place unless I say it is safe to do so.
While surgical drains can be uncomfortable, if you are well informed on their purpose and how to take care of them, you will be able to handle and care for them better. Better handling means less chance of any unwanted complications or infections.
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