Picture of Fresh Neck Incision with Jackson-Pratt Drain * Otolaryngology Houston

Jackson-Pratt Drain

Picture of a fresh neck wound closed with subcuticular Monocryl sutures. These absorbable sutures do not need to be removed. They are buried under the skin and only their ends are visible. The wound is also sealed with a layer of acrylic glue called Dermabond. This layer protects the wound and allows the patient to take a shower. The Jackson-Pratt Drain consists of a plastic tubing with multiple perforations that is left inside the wound. It is introduced through a separate stab wound and sutured to the skin. It is connected to a plastic bulb that is squeezed and emptied of its air content. When the bulb is allowed to recoil, it creates a vacuum and sucks blood or fluid from the wound, thus preventing hematoma or seroma formation. It is usually removed a day or two after the operation.

Queen Anne Dressing and Jackson-Pratt Drain

Picture of a thyroidectomy Queen Anne dressing and a Jackson-Pratt drain suspended by a ribbon tied around the neck.