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Drainless vs. Drains Tummy Tucks: What’s Better?

Now that we’re getting into the warm weather, tummy tucks are the talk of the town. In fact, tummy tucks are some of the most performed procedures in the country, year-round! Let’s talk a little bit about the different kinds of tummy tucks, including drainless vs drains tummy tucks, which option is best for you, and the next steps to take if you’ve been thinking about your own tummy tuck!

What’s The Difference?

Typical tummy tucks include a drain, or tubing, as part of the recovery process. Since your body naturally produces liquid as an immune response (swelling) after surgery, surgeons will often install a drain in the abdominal cavity to collect excess liquid the body can’t absorb.

A drainless tummy tuck, on the other hand, uses sutures to close down the space between the skin and muscle tissue. Liquid from swelling distributes evenly through the abdomen making the fluid collection less noticeable. 

Importantly, there can still be fluid buildup after a drainless tummy tuck. For best results, patients should wear the provided compression garments, avoid strenuous activity, and follow their surgical team’s recovery instructions as closely as possible. 

Benefits of Drainless Tummy Tucks

Generally speaking, the recovery time for both drains and drainless tummy tucks is the same. Patients can resume light activity 1-2 weeks after their procedure and full activity within 1-2 months. Both drainless and drains tummy tucks produce relatively identical results as well. 

If recovery time and results are similar, why would a drainless tummy tuck be preferable?

For starters, a drainless procedure avoids drain-site irritation, a common minor byproduct of a traditional tummy tuck. Since there is no drain, there’s no need to install or remove it, which means when the procedure is done, the procedure is done!

Not to mention, since there’s no drain, there is no need to empty it or measure the amount of fluid collected. There’s also the peace of mind of not having to carry a drain around in your abdomen–or carving out time to have said drain removed in-office.

Overall, a drainless tummy tuck is commonly preferred by both surgeons and patients alike, due to the simplified, straightforward process. 

Unfortunately, not all patients do well with a drainless tummytuck. Thin patients without much fat in their belly show small contour irregularities easier than others. The left over fluid that remains after a drainless tummytuck can cause lumps and bumps that prevent an ideal result. These patients tend get better results from a tummytuck that uses a drain.

How to Go Drainless

There are many factors that determine a candidate’s suitability for a drainless or drains tummy tuck procedure. Your surgeon will recommend the procedure that best suits your unique situation. 

If you’ve been considering a tummy tuck, the first step is to make a consultation with a trusted, proven cosmetic surgeon. At DeLuca Cosmetic Surgery, we’ve performed thousands of tummy tucks with dazzling, artistic results.

Check out our patient reviews, view before & after photos, and schedule an in-person or virtual consultation to learn more about we can help you choose a body contouring plan to suit your beauty and self-image goals! 


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