Hemovac Closed-Suction Drain Care

A Hemovac is a closed-suction surgical drain used to remove blood and fluid from a wound space after surgery. It is a round reservoir with springs inside: pressing the reservoir flat stores energy in the springs, and as the springs push outward they pull fluid from the wound through the tubing. That pull is the negative pressure, so a compressed reservoir is the working suction source. Safe care is simple on the surface, but it depends on clinical judgment: Is the drainage expected, is suction working, is the patient bleeding, is the wound becoming infected, or has the drain become unsafe? The drain reduces fluid accumulation that could become a hematoma or seroma. It does not prevent bleeding, diagnose infection, or replace assessment of the patient and surgical site. A closed negative-pressure system is preferred over an open one because keeping the system closed lowers the risk of surgical site infection.