Info on drainage tube after a Lymph Node Dissection

This topic has 7 replies, 7 voices, and was last updated 4 years, 6 months ago by Mat.in.Brooklyn.

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- October 11, 2019 at 10:00 pm
- Quote
gmschmidt
Participant
Has anyone who has had a Lymph Node Dissection had any lumpy white discharge in their drainage tube?

My husband had surgery 9 days ago and each day the discharge has been regular light red fluid as we expected. Yesterday he had a low fever, which is gone today, but the discharge going through his tube all day looks like cottage cheese. We called the surgeon and his nurse had us email a picture of what it looked like. She emailed back and said it’s doesn’t look concerning, but didn’t say much else. Nothing I have read says anything about this type of discharge.

Is there anyone here that had the surgery had a similar experience. The surgeon has a very good reputation so I’m sure his nurse is more then qualified, it just seems weird.

Thank you!

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- - October 11, 2019 at 10:11 pm
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  Baby_Girl
  Participant
  My lymph node dissection was my right arm pit. My drainage looked like a light yellow color with what I say looked like strings of blood and tissue chunks. I’m not sure exactly what it was but that is what it looked like to me. My friend who is a nurse would come and strip the drainage tube for me every couple days. If she didn’t the tube would get slowed down and then cause me pain where the tube was coming out my skin.
  - October 12, 2019 at 12:26 am
    
    Quote
    gmschmidt
    Participant
    
    Yeah, we strip the tube every time he dumps the fluid. They showed us how to do that before we left the hospital. There has been tissue before, along with the red fluid, but now it’s white chuncks.
    
    His is in the armpit as well. I guess it’s ok. ??
- - October 12, 2019 at 1:03 am
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  Lucygoose
  Participant
  This sounds exactly how my drainage was. It got white thick bits in it. Doc said it was normal. I did not have any issues and it was removed a few days after that.
- - October 12, 2019 at 2:16 am
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  sandyd77
  Participant
  My husband also had a drainage tube after axillary lymph node dissection (12 nodes were removed). The drainage you describe is what we experienced. It lasted several weeks. Sounds like all is as expected with your husband. Best of luck to both of you.
- - October 12, 2019 at 2:54 pm
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  SABKLYN
  Participant
  Sounds similar to some of the drainage I had.
- - October 12, 2019 at 6:32 pm
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  Affected
  Participant
  Hi, gmschmidt,
  
  My husband also had a lymph node dissection whereby they took out 42 lymph nodes. The dissection was in his neck and was done at the same time they took out his parotid gland where the melanoma tumour was located. You do not mention where your husband’s dissection was done; however, in the case of my husband, he did not experience any lumpy white discharge in his drainage tube. As I am not a doctor, I do not know whether the type of discharge may be dependent on which lymph nodes in the body were removed, but hopefully my husband’s case can be of some reference to you.
  
  Take care of yourself,
  Affected
- - October 13, 2019 at 12:59 pm
  - Quote
  Mat.in.Brooklyn
  Participant
  Hi there.
  
  I had a ALND in December 2018. I had the exact same thing. It would also spiral down the drainage tube. Not sure what it is but it didn’t concern my doctor when they took out the tube.
  I wish your husband a speedy recovery.
  
  Mat