Why I Rarely Use Drains During Breast Explant (Breast Implant Removal) Surgery [Bonus]

Foreign.

Dr. Rob Whitfield, the board certified plastic surgeon.

Specializing in explant surgery.

Breast implant illness is a topic that is not often talked enough about, especially in medical community, but is something that affects many women. In this podcast, I will be discussing the latest research, treatment options and personal stories of women who have undergone explant surgery in an effort to heal breast implant illness. In this podcast, we'll explore the symptoms.

Of breast implant illness and delve into.

The latest surgical techniques for explantation and the recovery process. Whether you are currently experiencing breast implant illness or are considering explant surgery, this podcast is a valuable resource for anyone looking to take control of their health and wellness. So let's dive in.

You know, recovery was a little rough. I had, I got an infection from the drains.

All right, we're gonna have to talk about the drains.

Yeah, and that was one thing which, when you don't have all of the information, I was like, oh, and I know that the doctor has to do drains. If they don't do drains and there's something wrong, you got to do drains. Well, I got drains. I had them for three days. Everything had been going fine. On the third day, went into the office, had them removed by the surgeon, and within 48 hours I had a fever. The area was red and very obviously infected.

Yeah.

So just so all the listeners understand, all of the studies suggest that the use of a drain ultimately is associated with a higher rate of infection. And so let's just talk about why we would use drains in the first place. And I've used drains for breast cancer reconstruction, for tummy tucks, for breast implant removals. So I, I will just give you my, my two cents on, on why you use them initially as a surgeon, because you don't want to leave a space that's open to fill just with fluid and develop what's called a seroma cavity, because then you have this fluid buildup. And so I would argue it this way. I've gone to not using drains, except for in really specific instances. So if I have a extra capsular rupture, which means your implant capsule, your scar has been compromised by the rupture. That usually means the gel or filler of the silicone device is now extravasated or leaked through your capsules in your breast tissue. That is a very unfortunate situation that I don't find very often anymore. But in that situation, I am very apt to use a drain because I cannot get the pocket devoid or cleared of materials easily. Because breast tissue is not something you can Just magically clean and oh, it's fine and be done with it. Now the other time I've used the drain. Now, drains don't stop infections, they don't stop bleeding, they don't stop you from getting the seroma. Just so that everybody's clear. We hope that they do, but that's not ever been proven really. So if you have a particularly problematic case and there's a propensity of bleeding for reasons beyond your control, maybe it's difficult to control their blood pressure, maybe they just are somebody who has bled more during the case, maybe they're more inflamed, you never know the given situation. So I don't want to be throwing blanket statements here. So I will use them in those cases. But most of what I do is create an environment where I don't have to by lifting up the fold so that the fold will rise, disrupting that lower area so that internally it will drain. And that may sound like heresy, but I don't use drains and tummy tucks either. Haven't for a long time. So that you can do with a progressive suturing technique. And you can also do the same thing I just described, which is undermining and basically internally draining it, which is your body's gonna, if you will absorb the fluid and then eliminate the fluid provided, several things are in order.

Right.

So I put patients on a particular diet that's higher in protein. I try to make sure the foods they eat don't create more inflammation or more edema or fluid. And we use supplements and we use anti inflammatories and we use ice. I mean we're doing all these things in conjunction with compression to help mitigate fluid production. If you have a multimodal approach, you'll do better. And some thin people, tiny little BMI patient will produce a lot of fluid and you'll be like, oh my gosh, how can this tiny person produce all this fluid? Well, if they don't compress, if they don't use ice, if they don't use their anti inflammators, if they're not following the diet, they don't have enough protein in their diet. I mean there's, it's, it's pretty predictable. Who will do that?

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Can do to help, I need a patient who's really switched on to help themselves.

Definitely have to take responsibility. But it's so incredible to me that you offer all of these protocols and even just saying like hey, if you up your protein and you reduce inflammatory foods, you're going to have a better recovery. So I had to research and try to figure all that stuff out on my own.

Thanks for joining me today. I hope you found the information and stories shared on this podcast helpful and informative. Remember, taking control of your health and wellness is key to recovery from breast implant illness. If you're looking for additional resources and support, be sure to visit our online store, Dr. Rob's Solutions at drrobsolutions.myshopify.com you'll find a wide range of wellness products and supplements supplements to support your journey to recovery. From specially formulated detox supplements to personalized skincare products, we have everything you need to aid your recovery. Visit Dr. Rob's Solutions today at drrobssolutions.myshopify.com thank you for listening and we'll be back with another episode soon. Remember, you're not alone in this journey and together we can overcome breast implant illness.

Take care of Sam.