Drain Care Post-Op Instructions

SHOWERING:

• Attach the drainage tubes to your clothing so that the bottles are not pulling on your skin.
• Remove bandages.
• Using warm soap and water, gently wash around the skin where the drain tubes exit.
• Use a clean towel to pat your wound area dry. DO NOT RUB.
• Dry the rest of your body after you dry your incisions.
• Apply antibiotic ointment (Neosporin, Polysporin) around drainage tube exit sites after showering and in the evening.

EMPTYING THE DRAINAGE TUBE: DO THIS TWO TIMES A DAY (WHEN YOU WAKE UP AND BEFORE BEDTIME)

• Unplug the drainage plug on the bulb.
• Hold bulb upside down over a measuring container.
• Squeeze the bulb until it is empty of drainage fluid.
• Notice the amount of drainage and write it on the chart.
• Press the center of the bulb to get the air out.
• When the bulb is collapsed, insert the plug back into the drain hole. DO NOT rinse or clean your drainage bulb under any circumstances. This could make you susceptible to infection.