Twenty years ago, if you wanted a tummy tuck, you were probably going to be stuck cleaning and caring for at least a couple surgical drains during your recovery. Designed to drain the fluid that may accumulate at a surgical site during healing, surgical drains help speed up healing and prevent infection, but they can also come with discomfort and be cumbersome for patients. Thankfully these days, thanks to advanced surgical techniques, you have another option: drainless abdominoplasty. For Grand Rapids, MI plastic surgeon David R. Alfonso, MD, this method is a true evolution of the surgery that prioritizes the patient for a more comfortable and easier recovery.
What Makes a Drainless Abdominoplasty Different?
“In a traditional abdominoplasty, you lift up the skin all the way to the where the chest is, cutting off skin and tightening muscle to create the shape you want,” Dr. Alfonso explains. “But you’re only suturing at the bottom, which leaves a big potential space in the abdomen, which is why drains were necessary.”
That space naturally fills with fluid, which surgical drains channel outside of the body. So, to go drainless, surgeons have to address that space during surgery.
“What we do now is actively suture the abdominal skin and fat back down to where it was on the fascia, which also promotes much faster healing,” he adds. “It’s similar to choosing to suture an open wound versus letting it close up and heal on its own.”
Putting Patients First
According to Dr. Alfonso, this approach means more time the OR for the surgeon for the benefit of the patient. “The result is very low maintenance for the patient, opposed to the daily emptying and cleaning of a surgical drain,” he explains. “The drainless approach requires only standard incision care.”
There’s also the element of comfort.
“A lot of patients with drains do not want to be out in public,” Dr. Alfonso says. “They’re hard to hide and they have the potential to get snagged on things, which can even pull out some of that tubing.”
Avoiding drains also means avoiding having the drains taken out, which can be stressful for patients.
“The drains themselves can be uncomfortable, especially if they rest near a nerve,” he notes. “And patients tend to have a lot of anxiety about getting them out, particularly because they are awake for removal. With no drain, you avoid that worry completely.”
The Evolution of Bodylifts
And this technique is not unique to tummy tucks.
“Twenty years ago, a bodylift would require around four drains, two in the front and two in the back,” Dr. Alfonso says. “But now, we can use this advanced suture placement to avoid drains completely.”
The bodylift, also called a circumferential abdominoplasty, addresses the upper buttock and lateral hip to achieve a refined shape and contour all the way around. According to Dr. Alfonso, the drainless technique is not yet as common for this procedure, but all signs point to the drainless bodylift becoming the next evolution in the surgery. “It has a very low complication rate,” he explains. “The fluid collection that we’re trying to prevent with this technique, I found was much lower than when I used drains.”
Alongside a low complication rate and speedier healing, the drainless approach to tummy tucks and bodylifts ultimately prioritize patient comfort.
“That lack of drains also helps patients get moving, which is necessary for their healing process,” Dr. Alfonso notes. “In my opinion, there is no advantage to using a drain at this point. The drainless technique might be more time for the surgeon, but the benefit to the patient makes it well worth it.”
