Plastic Surgery

The ups and downs after plastic surgery

Incentive spirometer

After surgery, it may be difficult to breathe as you normally do. You may notice your breathing changes to small, shallow breaths. This can cause fluid and mucus to build up in your lungs, increasing your risk for respiratory system complications.
An incentive spirometer is a hand-held breathing exercise device to help you breathe deeply. Taking deep breaths allows air to inflate your lungs, opening your airways to prevent fluid and mucus buildup.
Using an incentive spirometer may speed your recovery and lower your risk of lung problems such as pneumonia.

After surgery, an incentive spirometer can keep the lungs active during bed rest. Keeping the lungs active with a spirometer is thought to lower the risk of developing complications like atelectasis, pneumonia, bronchospasms, and respiratory failure.

●How often you need to use the incentive spirometer

At the hospital: You will need to use the incentive spirometer 10 times every hour you are awake after surgery.

At home: You will need to use the incentive spirometer 10 times every two hours for your first seven days at home.

●What Exactly is the Fluid that is Coming Out?
At first, the fluid that is coming out is typically red in color as a lot of it is blood that has oozed from the surgical site.  It should quickly start to lighten in color to look kind of like “Hawaiian punch Kool-aid” and become pink and then straw yellow.  The yellow fluid should look like “clear urine” and is actually serous fluid, which is similar to the fluid you would see inside a blister.  If the fluid is bright red in color, and remains that way for longer than a day, it could be indicative of hematoma formation.  If the fluid becomes cloudy or has a foul odor, it could be indicative of an infection.

●How Long do Surgical Drains Stay in?
It depends on which surgical procedure you had done.  The drains typically stay in place until they are draining less than 30ml’s of fluid per day.  Face lift and neck lift drains usually come out within 1-3 days, as well as breast reduction drains.  Tummy tuck drains typically stay in the longest, and may be left in place for 1-2 weeks.  Patients who are more active typically experience greater fluid output, and may have the drains in place for longer.

When choosing the Airbnb route after a tummy tuck or liposuction, you need a private nurse/overnight nurse to stay with you for the first days as they are crucial in your evolution.

Nurse Narline & her TEAM got your back! We are not only registered nurses. We have experience in the field and do everything with LOVE!