Question:
Panniculectomy patients help please! How long did you have drains in your incision?

I've had my drains for 6 weeks now and the output is still about 250cc per day. When will this curtail?    — JoanneML (posted on April 25, 2002)

April 25, 2002
I had 2 drains removed after 1 week the other 2 after 2 weeks. My Doctor said leaving them in any longer was just asking for a path for infection. Made sense to me. Good Luck.
   — susan V.

April 25, 2002
I guess I was lucky. I didn't have any drains for my Panni!!!
   — Helen C.

April 25, 2002
I came home from the hospital with four drains following my panniculectomy in November. Two were removed the week after discharge, the third was removed at 4 weeks, and the last drain continued to drain over 100 cc/day right up until the 7th week post-op. My plastic surgeon told me that although it was unusual to keep a drain that long, it wasn't unheard of. One of his previous patients had a drain in for over 8 weeks. His theory was that the drainage was "better out than in", and the alternative to having the drain was to have the fluid withdrawn with a needle periodically....no thanks :-) I didn't take any special precautions other than showering with an anti-bacterial soap daily, and I had no problems with infection. Good luck!
   — Diana T.

April 25, 2002
My abdominoplasty was three weeks ago today. I had two drains, one in each hip. Dr removed them at one week. I have had quite a lot of swelling since, tho. Maybe if the Dr had left the drains in longer, I wouldn't have as much swelling..? Oh, well, it's getting better now. By the time the Dr removed my drains, the output was probably only 50 to 70 cc per day.
   — Kathy W.