What's up with "drains" I keep reading about?

I had open RNY and at the very bottom of my insision, I had a drain the day of surgery. It was removed the next morning. To be honest, its purpose I thought was just to removed the extra fluids. Lisa

Hi Teri! I had a drain that was removed the afternoon prior to being released from the hospital. My Dr. never use-to use them, but after having a problem with one patient who had a leak he does them on everyone now. Before they remove the drain tube they gave me a blue popsicle, if there was any blue in the drain (the grenade part)they would know for sure if there is a leak or not. No blue in my drain after the popsicle! I wasn't real happy about the removal...it feels like a snake uncoiling inside you (yet I'm a baby about this stuff!), but I just kept thinking it was for my own good. It was probably not something your Dr. chose to do that's all. Take Care Lisa

i had lap RNY and i was told it was somthing to do with controlling infection, dave