BL/BA

 Hi everyone,

Im still in my WLS journey but I'm a big planner and are already thinking about PS. Thanks so much to everyone for posting all their stories and pics here, it really helps me understand and make decisions. 

So I'm terrified of all these drains! Here are my questions:

1. Are there drains with a BL/BA?
2. Can "twilight" be used instead of general for a BL/BA and/or TT?
3. How long do you have drains for a TT?
4. If I did an upper tight lift without a TT would i still have drains and could I use twilight instead of general?

Thanksagain for any help! I appreciate you all. 

Best,
Rebecca (Ro)

 Hi Rebecca, I just had my PS one month ago. From my understanding they don't use twilight here in the states. I went to Mexico to Dr Sauceda and he generally uses twillight for everything except facelift and or neck lift. I had thigh lift, tummy tuck,bl/ba and arm lift all the same day. I believe I had such an easy recovery because of him using twilight. Its possible that other surgeons outside of the USA might use it as well, but I haven't looked into that. As for drains I believe everyone is different. But for me I had one drain in each thigh, one for my tummy tuck and one in each arm. I have heard of people some people having them in the breasts but I think they might be smaller drains like they used for my neck lift (not sure though) I think some Drs remove the drains a certain amount of days post op. But I would say most Drs remove the drains when the drains are draining small amounts of fluid. Most of mine were draining just under 20ccs when they were removed. I don't remember the exact days mine were removed but I think 4 of mine were removed on day 9. The last one was my tummy tuck I removed myself after I returned home I would say day 15. I only had 5 drains but have seen people with as many as 11 (but that's for people doing multiple procedures at once) I have also seen people who have had to keep there drains in longer. The drains aren't painful, just annoying to juggle and to conceal under your clothes. 

Jennifer

 1. Are there drains with a BL/BA?
Depends on the doctor.  For my BL, I had one drain for each breast. One fell out on its own on day 4, the other was removed on day 6.

2. Can "twilight" be used instead of general for a BL/BA and/or TT?
Depends on the doctor. Sauceda uses twilight in Mexico. Some USA surgeons use it but the standard is a general knock you out completely type.

3. How long do you have drains for a TT?
Depends on your body. The drains stay in typically until you are putting out less than 10 or 20cc of fluid per 24hours.  I had 2 with a LBL. One stayed in longer but both were out before day 14.

4. If I did an upper tight lift without a TT would i still have drains and could I use twilight instead of general?
Depends on the doctor. Many thigh lifts do not require drains at all. Mine did not.

There is no reason to be afraid of the drains.  They are there to help you. You WANT all the excess fluid to have an outlet rather than having it pool inside your body. For every cc of fluid that collects in the drain it is one CC less that your body has to work to absorb. Your body can just concentrate on healing rather than dealing with all the extra fluids.  The drains also give a 'window' into how your healing process is going. By the output and the color of fluid, your doctor and you can tell alot about how the inside area is healing up the trauma.

Drains don't hurt, per se.  They can become sore over time at the site where the tube slips into the skin.  They certainly can hurt if you accidentally pull or catch the tube and end up yanking the drain a bit.  They can be annoying while moving around or showering.  Occasionally, someone will have bad luck and one can get infected - but there are many types of bad luck that can occur during PS for many things other than drains.

We complain about the drains and are all relieved and happy to have them removed.  They are inconvenient. The drains are also an irritation that many of us may comment or focus on as we go thru the journey.  First I complained about the sagging skin, then the drains, then the swelling....now I am mostly healed up and complain about nothing.  It is all a process. Don't let our drain discourse scare you. They are not that bad! 

Each doc is different. I had a BL/BA only and did not have any drains. I was under general anesthesia, but they described it not as being a little different than I had for other surgeries. No breathing tube down the throat, but it was at the back of my mouth. It was easier coming out of than previous surgeries.

It totally depends on the doctor and facility. I did not havL/BA and arms done.