The drain uses suction created by the bulb to pull the fluid from your body into the bulb. The rubber tube will probably be held in place by one or two stitches in your skin. The bulb will probably be attached with a safety pin to your clothes or near the bandage so that it doesn't flip around or pull on the stitches.
Another type of drain is called a Penrose drain. This type of drain doesn't have a bulb. Instead, the end of the tube is open. That allows the fluid to drain onto a dressing taped to your skin. The drain may be kept in place next to your skin with a stitch or a safety pin in the tube.
When you first get the drain, the fluid will be bloody. It will change colour from red to pink to a light yellow or clear as the wound heals and the fluid starts to go away. Your doctor may give you information on when you no longer need the drain and when it will be removed. Follow-up care is a key part of your treatment and safety.
Be sure to make and go to all appointments, and call your doctor or nurse call line if you are having problems. It's also a good idea to know your test results and keep a list of the medicines you take. Follow any instructions your doctor gives you. How often you empty the bulb depends on how much fluid is draining. Empty the bulb when it is half full. If your doctor asks you to measure the fluid, empty the fluid into a measuring cup, and write down the colour and how much you collected. Your doctor will want to know this information.
This removes all the air from the bulb. You may need to put the bulb on a table or a counter to flatten it. The bulb should stay flat after you put the plug back in. This creates the suction that pulls the fluid into the bulb. You may have a dressing bandage. The dressing is often made of gauze pads held on with tape. Your doctor will tell you how often to change it. The way your dressing is put on depends on what kind of drain you have. You will get instructions for your type of drain.
Your doctor may ask you to keep track of your dressing changes. Write down the time of day and the amount and colour of the fluid on the dressing. Squeezing or "milking" the tube of your surgical drain can help prevent clogs so that it drains correctly. Topic Overview After surgery, you will need to take care of the incision as it heals. Tips for reducing the risk of infection To reduce the risk of infection: Ask your doctor how long you need to keep the area dry.
Follow your doctor's instructions exactly. Look at the incision every day, checking for signs of infection see below. Change the dressing as your doctor recommends. Do not : Scrub or rub incisions. Remove the tape strips such as Steri-Strips from incisions unless your doctor tells you to. Use lotion or powder on incisions. Expose incisions to sunlight. Take a bath unless you can keep the incision dry. Instead, take showers or sponge baths until your doctor says it's okay to take baths.
Before you shower, cover the dressing with a plastic bag or use another method of keeping it dry. Signs of infection Call your doctor if you notice signs of an infection, such as: A yellow or green discharge that is increasing. A change in the odor of the discharge. A change in the size of the incision. Redness or hardening of the surrounding area.
The incision is hot to the touch. Increasing or unusual pain. Excessive bleeding that has soaked through the dressing. Changing a dressing Before you start, make sure you have gauze pads, a box of medical gloves, surgical tape, a plastic bag, and scissors. Then: Prepare supplies by opening the gauze packages and cutting new tape strips. Wash and dry your hands. Put on medical gloves. Loosen the tape around the old dressing.
Remove the old dressing. Clean the incision if your doctor told you to do so. See instructions below. An example would be surgery on someone's armpit axilla : this is often done as part of breast cancer surgery. The armpit makes a lot of fluid after being operated on.
Without a drain, the fluid might gather up in a large pool and be painful. The pressure of the fluid inside might stop the wound healing properly. So the surgical drain allows extra fluid to drain off harmlessly.
A few days later, when the fluid production has faded away, the drain can be removed painlessly. If you have had to have an emergency operation - for example, for a burst digestive tract what doctors would call a perforated bowel - then there can be infected juices left behind inside you.
A surgical drain allows those juices to drain away and hopefully reduce the chances of getting an infection after the operation. Your surgeon will discuss with you before the operation whether you will need a surgical drain and where it will be.
J Gynecol Oncol. Disclaimer: This article is for information only and should not be used for the diagnosis or treatment of medical conditions.
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