Y physician sends patients home for a week or two with a drain tube because he feels it helps with swelling, infection, and knowing if their are leaks. This whole thing freaks me out!!! How does it stay in? Does it tug and pull? Is it painful? Does it hurt like crazy to have taken out??? Is it gross to empty??? Not feeling so good about this part of it - but I do understand his reasoning behind why he leaves then in a while!

I didn't have one

Surgery 7/25/12

Y physician sends patients home for a week or two with a drain tube because he feels it helps with swelling' date=' infection, and knowing if their are leaks. This whole thing freaks me out!!! How does it stay in? Does it tug and pull? Is it painful? Does it hurt like crazy to have taken out??? Is it gross to empty??? Not feeling so good about this part of it - but I do understand his reasoning behind why he leaves then in a while![/quote']

I've had a drain 3 times and as a nurse had many patients with them. They don't hurt while in. They are sutured in place. It's not gross to empty at all and the main purpose is to collect the drainage to promote healing and prevent collections of this to accumulate and become infected.

Some people say that they hurt to be pulled out but mine never did. And I've pulled them out of many patients and never had any really bad complaints. I think it's like childbirth... Everyone shares their horror stories.

I had a drain in for 2 days while I was in the hospital. It hurt like hell when he pulled it out but only for a second !!! But I am a big baby and have NO tolerance for pain !!!

Y physician sends patients home for a week or two with a drain tube because he feels it helps with swelling, infection, and knowing if their are leaks. This whole thing freaks me out!!! How does it stay in? Does it tug and pull? Is it painful? Does it hurt like crazy to have taken out??? Is it gross to empty??? Not feeling so good about this part of it - but I do understand his reasoning behind why he leaves then in a while!

I had one for a week. I really think it was a big part of my healing up so great. It didn't hurt. It can be irritating to carry around, though. I tucked mine into my waistband and had no issues. It's a little uncomfortable when it's removed, but no biggie (high pain tolerance).