How does excess lymphatic fluid drainage differ once I’ve gotten past the first few days after a liposuction procedure? If your procedure included drains or drain holes, the drainage you received immediately post-surgery may have involved forcibly pushing fluid through open holes in the skin. After approximately three days, those holes will, and should, begin to scab over. That is the normal healing process and it is not my procedure to force those holes to remain as open drains. Typical manual lymphatic drainage involves gentle hand movements that encourage all the excess fluid to “move along” and exit the body through your urine. I can often relieve much swelling, tenderness and discomfort in one session.