Abstract
Background Surgical drains are a key component for recovery in breast reconstruction procedures.
However, they are often cumbersome and carry a risk of infection with prolonged use.
We aimed to develop a more thorough understanding of patient and health care provider
perspectives on surgical drains, to inform future efforts in improving the breast
reconstruction patient experience.
Methods Twenty-nine breast reconstruction patients and eight plastic surgery providers were
recruited to complete surveys focused on surgical drains. Likert scales ranging from
1 to 5 were developed to gauge how bothersome drains felt, as well as concern for
infection. Ordinal variable and categorical multiple-choice analyses were applied
as appropriate.
Results Fifteen (51.7%) patients underwent implant-based breast reconstruction, and 14 (48.3%)
patients underwent autologous breast reconstruction. The most common duration of drain
placement was 2 weeks (N = 13). The surgical site infection (SSI) rate requiring antibiotics was 28% (N = 8). On a scale of 1 to 5, both patients (median = 3) and providers (median = 2.5)
viewed drains as bothersome. Patients were “frequently” concerned about infection
risk (median = 3). Other high-frequency patient concerns included general pain and
discomfort.
Conclusion Surgical drains are a common component of breast reconstruction procedures and are
viewed as cumbersome by both patients and providers. Patients expressed concerns about
drain site pain, discomfort, and tugging on clothing. Patients and providers both
believed that drains could contribute to SSI. Overall, these data provide insight
to drive future improvements in the patient drain experience.
Keywords
plastic surgery - surgical wound infection - mammaplasty - surgical drain
