5 weeks still have drains in.
 

Its been 5 weeks since my recontruction surgery and I still have the drain in. The fluid ranges from 20 ml to 25 ml in 24 hour. Tried to kink the line but the pressure build up was too uncomfortable. I'm thinking the expander is just irratating the skin(which I had radiation on) and hoping that when PC puts the silicone in that it won't irriate it so much and it can heal up. I have one more expansion next week, then should be able to do the exchanged in March when I'm off for spring break. I guess I'm just going to have to get used to the drain until then and hope it stops when the exchange is done.
Suzanne

Re: 5 weeks still have drains in.
 

Snolan,

I feel for you. I didn't have recon, but had drains in for several weeks and then had to go every three days to have fluid drawn for a total of 8 weeks after my mast.

Hang in there and hoping you have relief soon.

Re: 5 weeks still have drains in.
 

Wow.....that's a bit rough having those drains in for a while. I hope they can come out as soon as possible. I am in expansion now too and look forward to getting rid of these things soon to get the implants put in over spring break...so I won't miss very much work. Surely, there won't be drains with the implants, will there??

Re: 5 weeks still have drains in.
 

I was under the impression that you do have drains after the swap, but I could be wrong.
Im so sorry you still have those darn drains in, even after the fills! I got mine out two weeks after the expanders went in. I had three, and I know what a pain those things are. It seems like your totals are close to the point where they remove them..Hang in there!

Re: 5 weeks still have drains in.
 

I don't think you have drains with the exchange surgery but i guess it all depends. There is a whole thread about "implant exchange" on www.breastcancer.org. My last drain came out 3 weeks after the surgery. I had 6 of them. It was in Summer and not fun. I remember hiding those drains under a long skirt so i could go out eat and shopping

Re: 5 weeks still have drains in.
 

Just my two cents... I did have drains all four surgeries they told me it was standard care. Gods blessings to you.

Re: 5 weeks still have drains in.
 

I guess I'll find out for sure at my next visit with the PS. I had drains with the mastectomy, only two, and they pulled them out after 10days. I hope the exchange goes as smoothly as the mastectomy. Certainly not fun, but endurable. I had some cording too, but most of that is gone now, and I have almost full range of motion. It gets better, right? And we learn to live with whatever reconstruction or not we decide upon.