Why do I need surgical drains after my breast explant?

By Dr. Surjit Rai

Surgical drains are used to drain spaces within the body. Once a capsulectomy is performed it creates a space within the breast where the previous implant was located. The body produces some fluid (initially bloody fluid) to fill this space. The drains serve several purposes and are important to optimizing the outcome of the surgery.

1. They are an indicator of what is going on in the breasts. Since we cannot see past the skin the drains allow us to determine if there is still bleeding occurring and how much bleeding is occurring. They also will give us an advanced notice if there is a complication such as a hematoma (bleeding) as they will fill rapidly with bloody fluid.
2. They will help close the previous breast implant pocket. By creating negative suction, they will decrease the fluid in this space and allow the tissue to close this space minimizing the risks of seromas (fluid collections).

Drains typically stay in place for 5 days but sometimes can be taken out sooner. Sometimes the drains are still producing a lot of fluid and might need to be left longer than 5 days. The drains are removed in clinic, but some patients live further away and can have a family member, or a nurse friend remove their drains. Dr. Rai feels drains are important to minimizing complications and optimizing recovery after breast explants.