How much drainage is normal after abdominoplasty?

Drains are usually removed one week after surgery. Sometimes, they are left longer depending on the amount and color of the draining fluid. A total drainage of less than 25 CC’s of yellow colored fluid in 24 hours, is a good indicator for drain removal.

When do drains come out after abdominoplasty?

Generally speaking, most patients who require tummy tuck drains are able to have them removed after about 1 – 3 weeks.

Why do tummy tucks have drains?

Drains are used to help remove excess fluid that accumulates after surgery. During your tummy tuck procedure, skin and fat are separated from the underlying muscle, creating a large abdominal flap. By squeezing the bulb, you create a manual suction that helps flush away excess fluid.

What color should drainage be after surgery?

The amount of fluid collected by the drain is related to the extent of the surgical procedure. This means, the more extensive the procedure, the more fluid is produced. The color of the fluid usually begins as cranberry (blood tinged) and as the days after surgery go by, the color becomes pink or yellow.

What should the drain outage be after tummy tuck?

The fluid coming through the drain can be initially dark red, and eventually clears to pink then yellow. This is because it takes just a little bit of blood to make the fluid dark red.

Where does the fluid go after a tummy tuck?

In a tummy tuck, the space is in between the skin/fat layer and the muscle layer. Most surgeons will place a drain to remove this fluid while your body is secreting it until the fat layer grows back together with the muscle layer.

What should my drain look like after surgery?

Initially your drain output should be a little blood-tinged. After a few days, it begins to look like Kool-Aid — pink to red. Following this it will become more watery and yellow to clear as the output decreases in volume. If the output smells foul to you, or you are concerned about the color, I suggest calling your surgeon for a brief evaluation.

Why is my drain fluid yellow after surgery?

This is not the surgeon’s fault, but some patients just do not heal fast enough or put out too much fluid for the body to absorb. Drain output fluid is usually bloody becoming more serous (yellow) after a few days.

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