There is a lot of confusion regarding the mysterious black dot on the drain. This dot has two purposes:
1- it helps surgeons position the drain when they are placing it during an operation.
2- it gives a visual indicator if the drain has moved from it’s initial position.
If there is no dot visible, that is not a problem. The drain may have been placed a little farther inside than usual.
If it is farther from the skin than demonstrated in this photo, but the drain is working properly (which usually means the bulb is holding suction and is not quickly filling with air) – then it is not a problem either.
However, if the bulb is quickly filling with air, and the dot has moved a couple of inches away from the skin, that tells us that the drain has accidentally been withdrawn and is no longer functioning properly. If that happens, it is not an emergency – but email Dr Immerman and let him know what is going on.