Is a Drainless Tummy Tuck Right for You?
Thinking about a Tummy Tuck but worried about drains? You’re not alone! Many women ask me, Dr. Tannan, a board-certified female plastic surgeon in our all-female practice, about Drainless Tummy Tucks. Let’s explore what they are and see if they might be a good fit for you.
Traditional Tummy Tucks
Regular Tummy Tucks involve tightening muscles and removing excess skin. After surgery, your body naturally produces some fluid as it heals. Plastic surgeons will often use a thin tube smaller than a straw called a drain to collect this fluid. Removing the fluid minimizes swelling and potentially decreases infection.
Drainless Tummy Tuck
A drainless Tummy Tuck aims for the same results as a traditional one, but without the drains. Here’s how it works:
- Progressive Tension Sutures: Instead of drains, I use special sutures that bring your tissues closer together and close down the big open space into smaller pockets. These “progressive tension” sutures create a tighter space where less fluid can build up. Imagine the stitches that make a quilt different than a comforter – those quilting stitches along the triangles or squares separate the spaces from the top layer of fabric to the bottom. Likewise, these stitches I do in surgery secure the skin from your upper abdomen and anchor it down to your fascia of your rectus abdominis muscles and make the large pocket into multiple smaller ones. This makes it harder for fluid to accumulate in large amounts. Remember those temporary tummy tuck dimples I talked about in previous posts? Those dimples come from progressive tension sutures. Not all progressive tension sutures will cause a dimple, so don’t worry if you don’t seen many dimples after your tummy tuck.
- Less Discomfort: No drains mean less discomfort and a potentially shorter recovery time on the front end. The drain itself doesn’t usually cause pain, but it is tethered in place by a stitch. Anytime your drain pulls or snags on something like your garment or when you shift positions, that stitch can pull on your skin and be a nuisance. It is an inconvenience for sure, but not so painful that it would require taking narcotic pain meds, to put it in perspective.
Below, the dark lines are marked on a real patient of Tannan Plastic Surgery. They show the rectus diastasis in this patient and my anticipated repair. I use surgical marker to indicate where I plan to place my sutures for the diastasis recti repair, which restores your six-pack or rectus abdominis muscles. Look at all that space that needs to heal and seal up between the skin and fat above and the underlying fascia. This is the space we close down with progressive tension sutures. Scroll to the bottom to see her full before and after photos.
Below, in this on-the-table immediate postop result, the dimples in her abdominal skin indicate where the progressive tension sutures are located in this same patient from the first pictures. These are her quilting sutures, where the top “fabric” or skin and subcutaneous fat are anchored to the bottom layer of “fabric” in this case, the fascia overlying the rectus abdominis muscles. Next you will see a photo of the skin and fat that is cut out from the belly button down to the pubic hair region called the mons pubis. Scroll down to see her full before and after photos.
Who is a Good Candidate for a Drainless Tummy Tuck?
Most people undergoing a repair of separated abdominal muscles, or diastasis recti, can benefit from the surgical technique of placing progressive tension sutures to anchor the skin into its new position after the surgeon removes the pooch or bulge. That is the exact same technique that we use in Drainless Tummy Tucks.
For most women of average weight, and minimal medical conditions, a Drainless Tummy Tuck means less discomfort from a pesky drain pulling and snagging on your garment every time you go to the restroom or shift positions. Naturally, if you fit in this category, we will do everything we can to optimize your recovery and avoid placing a drain at the time of your Tummy Tuck, performing a true Drainless Tummy Tuck.
However, Drainless Tummy Tucks aren’t right for everyone. Time and again, studies show that women with certain medical conditions, including Diabetes, and women with a higher BMI (Body Mass Index) are more likely to develop a collection of fluid called a seroma. Because a Drainless Tummy Tuck can’t monitor or evacuate this fluid, a traditional Tummy Tuck with a drain would be a safer option. Don’t worry! The drain is not forever. It is usually removed within a week, as soon as your body produces less fluid and is showing signs of progressive healing. Your board-certified plastic surgeon will indicate their professional recommendation during their consultation with you.
Below you will find the before and after photos of the same patient shown throughout this blog post. Compare her the intraoperative photos and the immediate, on-the-table results with dimples from above to her final after photos.
The Best Choice for You.
During a consultation, I will discuss your goals and medical history to see if a Drainless Tummy Tuck is a good option for you. We’ll consider your BMI, diastasis recti, and overall health to determine the safest and most effective approach.
Remember: There’s no one-size-fits-all answer when it comes to Tummy Tucks. My goal is to help you reclaim your body with a flatter stomach while prioritizing your safety and comfort. We want you to move confidently through the world without worrying about adjusting your wardrobe to fit the C-section pooch or belly bulge that may have nothing to do with pregnancy.
Want to Learn More?
Contact our all-female practice today to schedule a consultation with a female plastic surgeon to find out if a Drainless Tummy Tuck is the right choice for you! Don’t want to take our word for it? Listen to a real patient about her experience at our office in this video. Warning – she might bring tears of joy to your eyes with her story. She certainly had us whipping out the tissues!
Ready to schedule a consultation? Call us, text us or email us! One of our all-female-staff members will be happy to book your appointment.
If you are interested in moving forward with Abdominoplasty, our team is happy to take care of you in Raleigh at our on-site Surgery Center with an on-site operating room and clinic. If you are coming for your plastic surgery in Raleigh from Cary, Chapel Hill, Durham, Garner, Knightdale, Fayetteville, Greenville, Wilmington or out of state, feel free to call, text or email us. We want to set you up for success in every way – and we are here to help!
