How to Empty Your Drain After Surgery! with Dr. Dallas and Jackson Pratt Drain

About the Jackson-Pratt Drain: Your Jackson-Pratt drain has a soft plastic bulb with a stopper and a flexible tube attached to it (see Figure 1). The drainage end of the tubing (flat white part) is placed into your surgical site through a small opening near your incision. This area is called the insertion site. A suture (stitch) will hold it in place. The rest of the tube will extend outside your body and will be attached to the bulb. When the bulb is compressed (squeezed) with the stopper in place, a constant gentle suction is created. The bulb should be compressed at all times, except when you’re emptying the drainage. How long you will have your Jackson-Pratt drain depends on your surgery and the amount of drainage you’re having. Everyone’s drainage is different. Some people drain a lot, some only a little. The Jackson-Pratt drain is usually removed when the drainage is 30 mL or less over 24 hours. You will write down the amount of drainage you have in the drainage log at the end of this resource. It’s important to bring your log with you to your follow-up appointments.