Post-auricular open drainage to reduce postoperative bleeding in rhytidectomy.

In 200 patients undergoing rhytidectomy with and without additional procedures, 14 patients experienced postoperative hematoma, only 1 of which required corrective surgery under general anesthesia. Post-auricular open drainage was associated with a low rate of hematoma, i.e., 2.6% in 117 female patients in whom the drainage procedure was used. Factors affecting the probability of experiencing hematoma include male sex, elevated blood pressure, and the absence and type of drainage.