You are here:
- Home
- Health/Fitness
- Surgery
- Plastic Surgery
- Tummy Tuck JP drains
Plastic Surgery/Tummy Tuck JP drains
Advertisement
Question
QUESTION: My wife is having a tummy tuck and breast augmentation this May. My question is the doctor, who is board certified, says that he does not use drains for tummy tuck. Is this common, or should we be concerned? Thanks
ANSWER: from Dr. Alan Engler
www.bodysculpture.com
Hi Mark,
It's very hard to make absoute statements or assertions. I always use drains when I do a tummy tuck, and I don't actually know of anyone who doesn't use drains for that procedure.
However, if you're otherwise comfortable with this surgeon, then I don't know that that alone would be an indication of major concern. It's certainly unusual, but maybe the extent of the procedure or some other factor including the surgeon's preference and experience render the use of drains less indicated than most surgeons (evidently) feel they are.
Again, though, it's hard to make an absolute statement or assertion on any particular technical consideration, as there are many different ways to achieve a particular result.
I hope that this helps, and good luck,
Dr. Alan Engler
www.bodysculpture.com
---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------
QUESTION: This is the statement from their site about procedure.
"Our surgeons use rows of buried tension stitching to connect the skin to muscles. This maximizes tightness to the area eliminating the need for drains and suction catheters which are the most common cause of discomfort and complications."
Are you familiar with this technique, and if so, is it good or bad? Again, thank you very much.
Hi - yes, I've heard of this. Many surgeons do this or something like this as part of their procedure, and it is reported to decrease the need for drains.
My own feeling is that leaving a drain or two in is such a benign procedure, with so much potential benefit, that I generally prefer to do so.
That being said, there is a wide range of what's considered acceptable, and this certainly fits within that range.
Good luck,
Dr. E
Related Articles
Answers by Expert:
Alan M. Engler, MD, FACS
Expertise
Dr. Engler has answered over 3100 questions as a volunteer expert for AllExperts. His expertise includes breast surgery (breast enlargement with implants, breast reduction, breast lifts), liposuction, eyelid surgery, tummy tucks, facelifts, skin cancers, cysts, etc. Dr. Engler has been listed as one New York`s Top Doctors, and as "One of the World's Most Famous Aesthetic Surgeons" (Aesthetic Surgery, TASCHEN Books, Angelika Taschen, Editor). He is the author of 4 books, including "BodySculpture" (a best-selling plastic surgery book on breast surgery, liposuction and tummy tucks), "EyeScapes" (Plastic Surgery of the Eyelids), "Restylane," and "The Slim Book of Liposuction." Dr. Engler has two US Patents for surgical instruments that he's designed, and has appeared on numerous television shows, including The Tyra Banks Show, The Ricki Lake Show (four times), and the Dr. Keith Ablow Show. Videos of his appearances are available on YouTube (search for "DR. ENGLER"), and his discussion of breast implants, also on YouTube is "How to Choose a Breast Implant." His website is www.bodysculpture.com. Thanks for "Likiing" Dr. Engler on Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/pages/New-York-NY/Alan-M-Engler-MD-New-York-Plastic-Surgery-and-Aesthetics/107206405967267?ref=ts&__a=8
Experience
Dr. Alan Engler is a board-certified plastic surgeon in New York and the author of BodySculpture - Plastic Surgery of the Body for Men and Women (ISBN 0966382749) one of the top-selling plastic surgery books on amazon.com, barnesandnoble.com, etc.
Education/Credentials
Dr. Engler graduated from Yale University (BA, Russian Studies) and the Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons (MD). He did his residency training in General Surgery and, after that, Plastic Surgery, at the Montefiore Medical Center in New York. He is on the faculty of the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York, and is a Special Lecturer in the Department of Dermatology at Columbia University in New York. He has admitting privileges at Beth Israel Medical Center and Montefiore Medical Center, both in New York.
©2012 About.com, a part of The New York Times Company. All rights reserved.