Some post-surgical wounds, including following abdominal surgeries and mastectomies, may require suction drainage to prevent post operative complications due to edema and fluid collections. Suction bulbs have been common for the past few decades, since they don’t require external power and are very simple in design. New technologies can significantly improve this, as batteries have become more powerful, pumps more efficient, and electronics ever smaller.  
The FDA has just cleared the SOMAVAC 100 Sustained Vacuum System, a battery-powered device that provides continuous suction to a closed post-surgical wound. It stays close to the body, so as to not to protrude too much outside the clothing, and as such can be worn discreetly in public. It’s designed to be easy to use by the patient without causing spillage, leakage, and clogging of lines.  
“This FDA clearance represents a critical milestone for SOMAVAC and provides a meaningful advancement in post-surgical care, offering patients the opportunity to recover with dignity at home after major surgeries,” in a statement said Esra Roan, PhD, Chief Executive Officer of SOMAVAC Medical Solutions, a Memphis, Tennessee firm. “We are excited about receiving our clearance from the FDA for this device so that our technology can begin to improve patients’ recovery after surgeries.”

http://www.somavac.com/