An abscess is a pus-filled pocket in the body surrounded by tissue. It happens when your body tries to stop an infection from spreading, and can become very painful.
Abscess drainage removes the fluid from the abscess to keep the infection from spreading. There are several ways to drain an abscess:
- Surgery where the skin over the abscess is cut open and the pus is allowed to drain out
- Percutaneous abscess drainage, where imaging is used to place a needle or catheter in the abscess so the infected pus can be drained