Powered By
7 weeks after surgery and I still have my drains in. Reconstruction surgeon said drainage needs to be down to 30 ml for 2 consecutive days. Main surgeon said she’d remove them now and hope for the best. She said the longer they are in the higher risk of infection. Not to mention they are uncomfortable. They were thinking maybe I am being too active so I try and vegetate. When I have physical therapy that makes my drainage amount increase. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Limit repetitive movements with that arm (vacuum, sweeping, etc.), and whatever chores you take on, move easily/more slowly, and take breaks- that way your system can gradually take care of any fluid that builds up instead of being overwhelmed. Elevate the arm when you take breaks- no sense in having gravity working against you! When they remove the lymph nodes, the fluid has to find a new pathways, and a problem with that may allow the fluid to build up, This in turn can become an ongoing issue (lymphedema).
So just take it easy, not too much at any time, keep an eye on the fluid numbers, and adjust your activity levels in accordance with your progress! Hugs!
I had to be drained 4X after my drains came out (had 4 in for 3 weeks) and I admit. Did not hurt! But the did arm activity was causing more fluid. So I would limit that
You could ask to remove those and if any additional fluid builds up they can always drain it with a needle and it doesn’t hurt. But it’s true that below a minimum they usually don’t remove them. IMO it’s actually strange that it’s taking this long. Maybe there already is an infection?
Managing drain output after breast surgery requires finding the right balance of activity. While physical therapy is important for recovery, it's true that too much arm movement can increase drainage. Consider wearing compression garments or wrapping the area with an Ace bandage, as some patients have found this helps their Show Full Answer
Join
Your Privacy Choices
