Drain Log

Please see the link below for a printable PDF file that will be your drain log. A drain log will be used for all patients who go home with drainage tubes.

At your preoperative visit, drains will be described to you in detail, and you will have the chance to see and touch a drain. Don’t fret about drains – they are easy to care for, and this will all make sense once you have them!

After your surgery, if a drain has been inserted by your plastic surgeon, you will empty the drain fluid and record the amount in cc’s (also known as milliliters, or mL) on the drain log.

You will be given a small measuring cup at the hospital for measuring the fluid produced by your body as you heal, and you will record this amount on the log each time you empty the drains. You will need to empty and record the fluid 2-3 times each day.

Your drains will be ready for removal when the total output is less than 30 cc in a 24 hour period. The fluid should be light and clear yellow, rather than opaque and red. Your surgeon will determine when your drains are ready for removal.

Should you live far away, it is possible for another Physician or a Nurse to remove them closer to where you live, when the drains are ready for removal. Please check with our office at 415-570-7352 if you have questions about your drains.

Click here to download.