How to Take Care of Drains for a Tummy Tuck

You just had a tummy tuck and now you've been sent home with these bulb like containers to collect the drainage from the incision. Your body is making extra fluid around the incision and you have tubing under your skin that leads from the incision to the drain. Your surgeon will have given you a chart to mark down the amount of fluid each day. These drains are important for helping you avoid infection and control swelling.

Things You'll Need

• Gauze for making a belt
• Measuring cup
• Toilet for dumping fluid

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Instructions

• 1

  Make a belt around your waist with the gauze.

• 2

  Take the small clip on the drains and clip them to your gauze belt. This will keep them in place and prevent them from dangling around your body.

• 3

  Empty your drains morning and night unless told otherwise by your surgeon.

• 4

  Work fluid from the exposed tube into the drainage bulb before you empty it into the measuring cup. According to the Tuckthattummy website, "You must squeeze your fingers along the tube from your body toward the bulb." This simple action helps remove as much fluid as possible.

• 5

  Measure the amount of fluid in the drains with a measuring cup.

• 6

  Record the amount on the chart provided by your surgeon. According to Tuckthattummy, "He may also instruct you to call if your drainage exceeds a certain amount, changes to a very red color, or starts to smell very bad."

• 7

  Dump the fluid down the toilet.

• 8

  Reattach the drain to the tube.

• 9

  Cleanse the drainage area gently with anti-bacterial soap. An accidental tug on the tube will hurt.