Seromas

[BethinPA 305]

What do folks know about seromas? Mine is still present at week 9, and I have to get a drain put back in because of it. How long can these things last?! Thanks in advance for any light you can shed…

[SAD HATTER 122]

I had a serome after a different surgery. Mine stayed a while. It finally went away when I limited movement and was basically lazy at home after work. I also had to have antibiotics.

Seroma. I cannot spell. Ugh

[CowgirlJane 14,259]

I am sorry! I didn't have any seromas but I didn't know they used drains to address.

[MichiganChic 3,262]

@@BethinPA I've been meaning to post or IM you. I saw on another thread you said you have a seroma, and so do I. ugh. I had a vertical thighplasty December 12, and I have one in my left inner knee. I've been going back and having it drained, had it cut out once, had a seroma drain placed, and last week had it cut open and packed. I now have a wound vac that should heal it....or at least that's what we hope.

Seromas are a mild and somewhat expected complication from plastics. I've read that as many as 40% of tummy tucks will get one. Most of the time you can drain them once or twice, then your body is able to absorb the Fluid and you are good to go. Once in a while it goes to the other extreme, like mine, and they persist due to encapsulation. Mine was loculated, where it had many separate areas, so it was impossible to drain it all. I'm an RN and used to be a homecare nurse, so I've treated wounds worse than this, but I've got some pretty deep tunneling that's making me nervous.

Go to realself.com and research it there. Lots of docs commented on other people who posed questions similar to yours. You can see the responses of board certified plastic surgeons, and most of them indicate it more of a nuisance than long term worry.

Let me know how you are doing.

[BethinPA 305]

I had a serome after a different surgery. Mine stayed a while. It finally went away when I limited movement and was basically lazy at home after work. I also had to have antibiotics.

Seroma. I cannot spell. Ugh

How long did it take to resolve? I too am basically lazy after work to try to get this to go away, and I miss exercising!

[BethinPA 305]

@@BethinPA I've been meaning to post or IM you. I saw on another thread you said you have a seroma, and so do I. ugh. I had a vertical thighplasty December 12, and I have one in my left inner knee. I've been going back and having it drained, had it cut out once, had a seroma drain placed, and last week had it cut open and packed. I now have a wound vac that should heal it....or at least that's what we hope.

Seromas are a mild and somewhat expected complication from plastics. I've read that as many as 40% of tummy tucks will get one. Most of the time you can drain them once or twice, then your body is able to absorb the Fluid and you are good to go. Once in a while it goes to the other extreme, like mine, and they persist due to encapsulation. Mine was loculated, where it had many separate areas, so it was impossible to drain it all. I'm an RN and used to be a homecare nurse, so I've treated wounds worse than this, but I've got some pretty deep tunneling that's making me nervous.

Go to realself.com and research it there. Lots of docs commented on other people who posed questions similar to yours. You can see the responses of board certified plastic surgeons, and most of them indicate it more of a nuisance than long term worry.

Let me know how you are doing.

Oh my! I am upset about having to get a drain, I would be soooo upset if I had to get a wound vac! Are you working from home?

I've been going to the doctor's office and getting my seroma drained 1-2x per week for about 6 weeks now, and the doctor has been waiting for me to get tired of coming in for appts and go ahead with the drain, but truthfully, I don't care how many times he sticks me, I don't want an opening into my abdominal cavity. But I finally agreed, and am getting the drain tomorrow. I just really want this to resolve quickly!!

[BethinPA 305]

The silver lining is that I had my taxes done today, and since I spent so much on medical expenses for my surgery, my return was higher!

[MichiganChic 3,262]

The seroma drain I had was totally no big deal. It's like an angiocath with holes in it, and a suction drain attached. I wish it had worked for me, and I hope it does for you.

I'm working half days in the office, and half days at home. I just can't miss work even though I could work remotely. I am a department director and there's lots going on, so I need to be there. So I've been taking my durable medical equipment, complete with (hidden and safely secured) bio hazardous waste and going to work!

Yesterday I went to the doctor, and the tunnels are trying to wall off again! She had to open it back up. This is really getting old, but I do believe it will be OK in the end. I'm still not sad I did it.

Anyway, if the Fluid stays in too long, that's when you get encapsulated and end up with more surgeries, like me. In the office, local only....and spotty numbing at best!! I'm really starting to feel like a warrior, lol. So yeah, get that drain and let that belly heal

[MichiganChic 3,262]

@@BethinPA did you get the drain?

[BethinPA 305]

@@BethinPA did you get the drain?

It was a weird day! I went through all of the steps, including some sedation, but the interventional radiologist couldn't find the seroma, and so didn't put the drain in. Best I can figure is that the Fluid followed gravity and was towards my back, since I was laying down. I'm always standing up when the plastic surgeon sticks me and pulls the fluid out, so gravity helps to put the fluid where he can tap it. So I still feel the seroma, but I prefer not having the drain. I'm just hopeful that my body calms itself down soon! Thank you for asking!!

[MichiganChic 3,262]

That's great that it seems to be resolving! I'm glad for you. I'm sure hoping this wound vac does the trick for me. I had a small area of dehiscence after my lower body lift last August, and that literally took 4 months to heal, which was about a week before my thigh lift. So, I've had some sort of open wound to deal with for about 7 months - and that's getting a little old!

There was a plastic surgeon who was a guest speaker at the last bariatric support group I went to, and one of the first things he talked about was the need for mental stamina. My experience really brings that statement clearly into focus!

[BethinPA 305]

That's great that it seems to be resolving! I'm glad for you. I'm sure hoping this wound vac does the trick for me. I had a small area of dehiscence after my lower body lift last August, and that literally took 4 months to heal, which was about a week before my thigh lift. So, I've had some sort of open wound to deal with for about 7 months - and that's getting a little old!

There was a plastic surgeon who was a guest speaker at the last bariatric support group I went to, and one of the first things he talked about was the need for mental stamina. My experience really brings that statement clearly into focus!

You have way more fortitude than I do! I'm still waiting for my area of dehiscence to heal completely (I'm down to scabs), and I will have to get a revision at some point since the seroma stretched me out. I had planned to get a breast lift in the near future, but now I don't even want to deal with any more surgery for a long while.

My surgeon asked me how I was feeling emotionally when I was about a month out, and acknowledged that lots of patients feel depressed initially after this surgery. I appreciated that he brought it up, since most surgeons I know wouldn't ever want to bring such a thing up.

I hope we are both up and about very soon!

[CowgirlJane 14,259]

I feel bad for you all still recovering. ..but it will get better soon!

[BethinPA 305]

I feel bad for you all still recovering. ..but it will get better soon!

Thank you, CGJ!!

[AvaFern 3,516]

@BethinPA I had a sermona around my belly button after my abdominoplasty. It was super sexy...I could squish one part of my stomach and wash Fluid swish around to the other part. My doctor and I both drained it a few times a week for about a month, then we got annoyed with it and put another drain in for a week, and when we pulled the drain the damn seroma came right back. Finally he pushed alcohol as a slcerosing agent, let it sit in my seroma for about a half hour, then pulled it out- my seroma was gone in a week.