Help! My bulb won't hold a suction..

My drain on the right side isn't functioning correctly. When I empty it and squeeze in the bulb and close it, it fills right up with air again, I can't see anywhere where there is a hole that air is getting back in. I will call first thing in the morning, but I'm nervous now because it isn't working and that side usually drains alot. Just within 12 hours today it drained 50cc. Has anyone had this happen? If so, was there a way for them to tweak it to make it work again, or did they have to remove it completely?

Cyndi, This happened to me and I called my surgeon, he had me go in and he took the drain out that day. My surgeon left one drain in saying things would shift over to that drain. A few days later that drain fell out on its on. My surgeon wasn't concerned about it, he said my body just didn't want it. I wasn't draining that much. About 20CC every 2 hours or so. Good Luck, Gina

Thanks for the reply, Gina!! I will call at 9:00am and I am sure they will have me come in. I just can't figure out what went wrong since it was draining so well. Hopefully the other side will take over. Thanks again!

Hi Cyndi, Oh gosh if you could see my right drain. LOL The same exact thing happened to me. They just kinda get all used up. I know that I am draining quite a bit now, 75cc from the left and 35 cc from the right just this morning. My right drain has yellow electric tape up and down it. It's kinda funny because I was looking for a leak, that just didn't pan out. So I tried to glue the little tab thing shut, didn't work. It needs the negative pressure. So we tried a thousand things, panicking the whole time that vicious liquid was backing up into my system. Okay, this is what I did. I squeezed the bulb shut and then used one of those big "paper clip" type magnet things that I have on my refrigerator. Gosh, I can't explain. They are big clips that hold papers and stuff, I got mine at the dollar store. They come in all different colors. It keeps the bulb closed and every one in a while I open the top and squeeze a little because some air gets into it. It's not attractive, LOL. Mine actually stopped working at my surgeons office. He said that it would still drain even if there was not a whole lot of negative pressure. Due to how much I was draining he didn't want to take it out at that time. So I am working with this "rigged" drain until Friday. Everyone tells me that it's best to have the drains in them have to go be drained. I tend to agree! I can take a pic of the clip if you need it.

I totally know what kind of clip you are talking about. Unfortunately, I think the air is coming in from the tube itself, near where it enters my body. I am noticing that the tube hangs out farther on that side so I think it is just working its way out. Once the tube enters your body, that part of the tubing has little itty bitty holes in it, which is where the flood enters into the tubing. I think a small part of the tubing with the holes in it has pulled out so air is entering there. You know how you milk the tubing and the tubing goes kinda flat? Mine doesn't do that anymore cause air has access so it plumps right back up. I tried to tape the tubing w/ medical tape but it didn't work. It is draining still, but not into the tubing but onto the dressing around it. Last night I had to tape two Kotex pads to my hip to absorb the crap leaking out. Arrrg!! I'm frustrated because I don't know how this happened. It does look like one of the stitches came a little loose so maybe it just started slipping out because of that. Did I mention that I hate being poked with needles? LOL--I guess the one thing in my favor is that my tummy is still completely numb from my belly button to my incision line. I will let you guys know what happens. The office opens in a little over an hour.

Cyndi, How did you do??? Please let us know!!! Thanks, Donna

One drain gone, one to go. Wooo hoo! LOL OK, so I really didn't want my drain to go like that, but the nurse said that the other drain should compensate for awhile and it does seem to be draining more. She said that sometimes your body just rejects them and they work their way out. She said that it looks like there was a weird stitch in there too, so it maybe have come loose. But everything is OK and I'm just glad that it wasn't that big of a deal. I was really worried! The doctor was in surgery today so I won't see him until Thursday morning. Thanks for thinking of me!

I had my drains removed after two weeks - my Dr doesn't want them in any longer than that. I am 4 weeks post op from my TT and go every week to have the fluids removed with a BIG needle - it is very unpleasant. The needle is inserted below my stiches (about the middle of my pubic area). Last Friday he removed 150 cc's of fluid. I don't want to depress anyone - just thought you might like to hear the "other" side. Katie Murphy Banning, CA.

Hi Katie, ouch!!!! Were you still draining pretty well when he removed the drains? My doctor removed one at a time, I had 4. i am down to the last two and I have hopes to get them out on Friday. I drained 50cc's on the left and 35cc's on the right in the last 24 hours. I'm praying that stays steady or goes down. I really want them out but I also don't want seromas. It's such a frustrating decision. At this point my drains have been in since the day of my surgery, March 27, so 2 weeks and 1 day. Thank you for the cold reality!!!!! I think we all have to realize that these types of situations exist. Donna