Question:
How much pain is associated with the removal of a JP drain?
I am scheduled to have my JP drain removed on day 13 post-op. The staples look huge and the skin is healing around them. Do they numb your abdomen before they remove the drain and staples? Do they staple the open hole after removing the tube? I deal better with the known than the unknown. Thanks for any help. — aferrendelli (posted on June 26, 2003)
June 25, 2003
Don't worry, they are removed so fast, and even if it did hurt you would
not have time to feel it. It is a strange feeling when they remove the
drain, but do not fret. It is a cup of tea.
— Gene F.
June 25, 2003
The removal of the JP drain was the worst part of the surgery for me. I
won't lie - it hurt. But the good news is that it was quick and then the
pain went away. The hole where the drain is closes pretty quickly. I just
had a little gauze pad over it for a day or two. Mine was removed on day
four, before I left the hospital.
— Patty_Butler
June 25, 2003
No pain whatsovever~just feels real strange while it's being removed. LAP
RNY 9/3/02 265/158/115-126 Hadiyah, a.k.a.~~~
— yourdivaness
June 25, 2003
You will be so glad to have it gone it wouldnt be a big thing. But since
your concerned take a dose of pain meds when you arrive at the office. But
be sure to take someone to drive you home. The worst part of the JP drain
was when my dog misstook it for a ball and tried to run oiff with it. I
didnt know I could scream so loud.
— bob-haller
June 25, 2003
i was worried about the same thing. i just hated that drain and hated the
thought of having it removed even more. i was afraid that it would hurt
more than having the staples removed. now that hurt! i had to have the
nurse stop twice before she finished but that's just me. with that in mind
since that happened first i was convinced that the drain would give me
grief. i was wrong. it was just a sensation of bein removed with no pain
at all. i winced anyway. the hole took quite a long time to heal
completely but just needed a small bandage to cover it. actually the scar
from the drain looks worse than the other scar. regardless, it is a
welcomed relief to have that thing removed. my surgery was feb 20, 2003
open rny. i am down 68 pounds.
— Priscilla A.
June 25, 2003
Mine was removed before I left the hospital on day 4. To be honest it hurt
really bad but it was fast and the pain didn't last long. It burned more
than anything, and I too just had a gauze pad for a day or two. You will
be fine!
— Darlene H.
June 25, 2003
I have to say that having the drain removed was by far the worst part of my
lap RNY experience. I should have known what to expect when my partner, a
nurse, suggested that I take a dose of my pain meds right before my appt.
She wouldn't give me a straight answer about how much it would hurt...when
they pulled it, it felt frankly like my intestines were being pulled out
with it. Astonishing, stabbing pain that left me speechless. I gave birth
without medication with less discomfort. However, the JP drain pain was
transient--over in two seconds. I felt lightheaded and shocked for about an
hour but the pain was very, very brief. It's worth that discomfort, by the
way. (LapRNY 23-Jan-2003, down 68#- 246/178)
— gamboge
June 26, 2003
If possible, have someone drive you to your appointment. Take your pain
meds before you leave. This should help decrease your pain level during
the JP removal and for your trip home.
— adeas
June 26, 2003
Removing my drain didn't hurt at all. I did feel a pinch when they cut the
suture thread which was holding it on. Then the Doc pulled and it felt
funny, like a little person was running on my tummy. It lasted all of a few
seconds. He covered the hole with gauze and a piece of tape, and it was
healed in only 2 days.
— M B.
June 26, 2003
i had mine removed before i left the hospital. it honestly didn't hurt -
just a slight tug and it was out.
— carolsaunders
June 26, 2003
Depends on your pain tolerance. It hurts but it is a quick pain that really
doesn't linger. It also depends on how much you have healed around it. In
my opinion Period Craps are worse. Take your meds an hour before your appt
that should cover you. I went directly to the mall afterward so it isn't as
bad as you would think.
— Rebecca K.
June 26, 2003
Hi, well my tube did not hurt at all it felt so weird it kinda like someone
is pulling you insides out, its not something I would want done again but
not too bad. Now for the staples I didn't have them with my RYN but I did
twice with my C-sections and there not bad at all its a little pinch and
then its over. Good Luck Im sure you'll do just fine. Teena(RYN
4/8/03~down65#)
— Teena P.
June 26, 2003
Hi, Had my drain removed about ten days post op, no pain but a weird
sensation that does catch you by surprise. As for the staples no pain
there either. Good luck, MaryLyn -38
— Kriola
June 26, 2003
My doctor told me 'this is going to HURT REALLY REALLY BAD'.... I braced
myself for the 'hurt' then he started to'laugh' cause the drain was already
pulled out.
When I had another taken out for my TT, it just felt weird; didnt hurt.
— star .
June 26, 2003
They took my JP drain out the day I went home from the hospital (about 3
days postop) I did not have staples around mine, just a few sutures. The
nurse just snipped the sutures out and then pulled the tube out. It wasnt
that bad, just stung a little when she pulled the tube out. To me having
IV's put in hurts more, and then that's not even real bad. They do not
staple that hole shut afterwards, they just let it heal on its own. They
will put a 4X4 gauze on it so no drainage gets on your clothes. Eventually
that scabs over and then you will have a little tiny scar right near your
belly button. Hope this helps! Good Luck!
— Kris T.
June 26, 2003
I think it depends on the placement of the drain...I had lap rny two weeks
ago,The drain was in my right side but the tubing went all the way over to
my left side, all underneath my ribcage.It hurt really bad when it was
removed.It felt like a stinging sensation but it was over very quickly.The
staple removal did not hurt at all.
— jennifer A.
June 26, 2003
Hi there, Allison! I have to agree, it depends on your pain tolerance. If
it's not the greatest, take a dose of pain meds before getting there. The
staples feel more like someone picking at your skin, lightly. The drain
feels like you have butterflies, a big one, but butterflies. It feels
ackward, but it really is over before you know it. Vi. open RNY 9/23/02
down 142 lbs.
— Vi F.
June 26, 2003
Hi Allison,
I do not have a very high tolerance for pain, so therefore, when I tell you
I had NO pain when my surgeon took out the drain or the staples, I am being
honest.
— Ceil G.
June 27, 2003
Allison, please forgive me. I shouldn't have "assumed" you had
the same WLS as myself. I happened to come back to see what the responses
were today. It does make a diiference, I see, if you had/have staples. Like
everyone has mentioned here, it wouldn't hurt to take a little pain meds
BEFORE. As I mentioned before, I didn't have any painat all when my J-P
drain was removed, it just felt weird when the surgeon began pulling the
tube to the drain out.
— yourdivaness
June 28, 2003
ok, i am pre-op, but have had panniculectomy, like a tt, and a breast
reduction recently, and had jp's both times. with the tt, i was numb
anyway and felt nothing, although i was told it would hurt. the drains
were by far worse, not painful, but draining them and manipulating them,
not to mention pulling one 5 inches or so out from getting hooked on my car
door handle (don't ask how) were much worse than the removal. then came
the breast reduction. i have a very high pain tolerance, and although the
pain was more of a stinging sensation, it was so creepy, and the poster who
said it felt like someone running on your skin was correct. they do it
super quickly, but gee, my luck was to have a nurse who forgot to clip the
suture first on one breast and then yanked with all her might to find out
it was still stitched in! ouch! but i survived and i have to say,
although it stinged pretty good, it was quick and pain left after a minute
or so. i hated the tedious removal of 30 0r so staples in the tummy much
worse. good luck! darci
— darci T.
June 28, 2003
I didn't have one for my WLS, but did for my gall bladder. When they took
it out, it hurt, big time, but it only last for a couple of seconds. By
the time my brain registered that it hurt, it was out and the pain was
gone.
— garw
July 7, 2003
Hi, I had one for my gallbladder as well, I had pain drip so 10mins before
they took it out, i gave me some medication. Then they started to pull
slow, that hurt, so I told them to please just get it out. That was lots
better. The faster the better and it only hurt for a short time, after
min. I did not feel anything, and was doing fine. Hope this helps.
— RAQUEL S.
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