If you have recently had surgery you have a lot of things on your mind. You may still be recovering from the procedure itself and trying to deal with pain and loss of mobility. If you have a drain, you may also be trying to care for this device as well. Surgical drain care is not difficult and there are really only a few steps to accomplishing it.
You may have had surgery in the past and not had a drain installed. Not every surgery results in the use of one of these devices. There are procedures, however, that have a better recovery rate if a drain is installed. If you have surgery where a cavity will remain (as in an area where a lump or other piece of tissue was removed), you can end up having fluid or air build up. This makes it impossible for the body to heal properly. Drains allow your body to get rid of these substances and heal properly.
Infection can be a serious problem especially when a surgical wound becomes infected. Some individuals have even died as a result of bacterial infections in their surgical wounds. You want to make sure you are going to heal as quickly as possible and it will be easier to do so if you maintain your drain properly and practice good wound care.
Often, a doctor will give you written instructions that describe how to look after yourself while recovering. You do want to make sure you do not do anything like swim while you have a drain installed as this can introduce non-sterile liquid into your wound. You also want to make sure that you have the device pinned to your clothing in such a way that it cannot be pulled or tugged. This can be painful and may end up causing the device to become dislodged.
Drains all tend to be made up of similar parts. They may vary a bit but they all involve a plastic tube of some sort that has a bulb attached to the end. Liquid will travel out of the wound and collect in the bulb. The bulb usually has a section on it that can be opened or removed so that the fluid can be poured out. Because the plastic used to make the device is very soft, it can become twisted or kinked.
Clean your hands before you start. You will often have bacteria on them and this can transfer to your drain. It can then travel up the tube and enter your wound. This can result in big problems if you do not get the infection stopped before it spreads. Also measure any other tools such as cups that you will use to measure the fluid that has collected.
Unless your doctor has told you otherwise, check your bulb for fluid four times a day. In the beginning, fluid will drain out more quickly than it will as healing progresses. If you find that your bulb is more than half full, it is a good time to get rid of the liquid. Make sure you write down how much collected and what it looked like.
Keep an eye on the incision as well. Make sure that it is not looking red and inflamed or that there is no discharge coming from the wound instead of the drain. Also make sure that the tube is not kinked or bent. If there are any problems, make sure you call your doctor and be prepared to have them check the area for infections.
You may have had surgery in the past and not had a drain installed. Not every surgery results in the use of one of these devices. There are procedures, however, that have a better recovery rate if a drain is installed. If you have surgery where a cavity will remain (as in an area where a lump or other piece of tissue was removed), you can end up having fluid or air build up. This makes it impossible for the body to heal properly. Drains allow your body to get rid of these substances and heal properly.
Infection can be a serious problem especially when a surgical wound becomes infected. Some individuals have even died as a result of bacterial infections in their surgical wounds. You want to make sure you are going to heal as quickly as possible and it will be easier to do so if you maintain your drain properly and practice good wound care.
Often, a doctor will give you written instructions that describe how to look after yourself while recovering. You do want to make sure you do not do anything like swim while you have a drain installed as this can introduce non-sterile liquid into your wound. You also want to make sure that you have the device pinned to your clothing in such a way that it cannot be pulled or tugged. This can be painful and may end up causing the device to become dislodged.
Drains all tend to be made up of similar parts. They may vary a bit but they all involve a plastic tube of some sort that has a bulb attached to the end. Liquid will travel out of the wound and collect in the bulb. The bulb usually has a section on it that can be opened or removed so that the fluid can be poured out. Because the plastic used to make the device is very soft, it can become twisted or kinked.
Clean your hands before you start. You will often have bacteria on them and this can transfer to your drain. It can then travel up the tube and enter your wound. This can result in big problems if you do not get the infection stopped before it spreads. Also measure any other tools such as cups that you will use to measure the fluid that has collected.
Unless your doctor has told you otherwise, check your bulb for fluid four times a day. In the beginning, fluid will drain out more quickly than it will as healing progresses. If you find that your bulb is more than half full, it is a good time to get rid of the liquid. Make sure you write down how much collected and what it looked like.
Keep an eye on the incision as well. Make sure that it is not looking red and inflamed or that there is no discharge coming from the wound instead of the drain. Also make sure that the tube is not kinked or bent. If there are any problems, make sure you call your doctor and be prepared to have them check the area for infections.
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