No Drain Tummy Tuck

You’ve worked hard to lose weight and to improve your muscle tone through diet and exercise programs. When you have reached your desired weight but not your desired shape, it may be time to consider a Tummy Tuck. Our patients choose this procedure, when they are having trouble achieving a flat toned tummy appearance.

Now that the pounds have been dropped, you can also drop the skin – it probably hangs on your belly and creates an unflattering look. No matter how many crunches you do, you just can’t seem to get those abdominal muscles anywhere near to a six pack. Without the help of plastic surgery, you might be stuck in that appearance and with that excess skin. There is no cream that will lift lax tummy skin, no number of crunches that will tighten loose stomach muscles and oftentimes even the healthiest diet will not be able to reduce certain fat deposits along the abdominal wall.  Only abdominoplasty (tummy tuck) can help you address these problematic areas sufficiently.

Surgical drains are a feared part of abdominoplasty surgery for many patients. They are awkward, irritating and uncomfortable. The tubes and collection devices can make walking, dressing and showering very difficult. This is translated into a longer recovery period. Patients worry about the pain that can be associated with accidentally pulling the drainage tubes out. Drains are commonly used is surgery to prevent fluid from accumulating between tissue planes. In tummy tuck surgery, there is a space between the abdominal wall and the overlying fat and skin (the abdominal “flap”). If that space is not properly closed, the body will do what it normally does during the healing process – produce fluid. Since there is nothing to restrict the fluid from accumulating, a seroma (a pocket of clear serous fluid) can form in this space.

In the classical tummy tuck, surgeons place negative suction drains in spaces like this to both remove the fluid and create suction between the tissue planes. Dr. Tzamantaki and her team utilize progressive tension sutures inside the tissues to close off the space and also relieve tension on the final surgical closure.

This translates into less pain, less discomfort, no drains to deal with and better scarring from less tension. Also, there is no opening from the outside world into the tissue, potentially minimizing infection risk.

We have successfully used progressive tension sutures, during abdominoplasty for more than 5 years, with a lower seroma rate than is commonly thought to occur with tummy tucks and drains.

“The seroma rate I have experienced using this method is zero. I don’t worry about seromas anymore and my patients don’t worry about drains. I am very happy with this evolved technique and my patients are extremely grateful that they do not have to experience drainage tubes with longer post-op periods”.

By Dr. Elena Tzamataki