Seroma

GrandmaMir
GrandmaMir Member Posts: 21 Member
edited March 2023 in Breast Cancer #1
My doctor aspirated my seroma today but the fluid is already returning. Does anyone know what can help prevent seromas? I've been feeling so good since my surgery three weeks ago and have been doing too much. My doctor said I should take it easy for another week. Will that help keep the fluid from increasing?

Miriam

Comments

  • missrenee
    missrenee Member Posts: 2,136 Member
    #2
    Hi Miriam
    I, too, have a seroma. I had my surgery 7 months ago. I've had this to varying degrees since then. My surgeon said the chemo and radiation would make it worst and they did. I'm done with chemo and almost done with rads (9 more!). He didn't want to drain it--risk of infection--and also said it would probably fill right back up. So, after rads finish, he will look at it again and decide what to do--if anything. Apparently, these eventually go away on their own, but take time. I am doing exercises and massage techniques that my PT (who specializes in breast cancer rehab) showed me.

    Even though this has been a pain (literally), it's not serious and will subside. I don't think there's any way to prevent them or make them magically go away--that I know of. I guess some of us develop them and some don't. We're just a couple of the lucky ones!

    If you hear of any new info about them, please let me know. Good luck!

    Hugs, Renee
  • carkris
    carkris Member Posts: 4,553 Member
    #3
    missrenee said:

    Hi Miriam
    I, too, have a seroma. I had my surgery 7 months ago. I've had this to varying degrees since then. My surgeon said the chemo and radiation would make it worst and they did. I'm done with chemo and almost done with rads (9 more!). He didn't want to drain it--risk of infection--and also said it would probably fill right back up. So, after rads finish, he will look at it again and decide what to do--if anything. Apparently, these eventually go away on their own, but take time. I am doing exercises and massage techniques that my PT (who specializes in breast cancer rehab) showed me.

    Even though this has been a pain (literally), it's not serious and will subside. I don't think there's any way to prevent them or make them magically go away--that I know of. I guess some of us develop them and some don't. We're just a couple of the lucky ones!

    If you hear of any new info about them, please let me know. Good luck!

    Hugs, Renee

    It was explained to me that
    It was explained to me that when there is a space fluid fills it. My surgeon wanted it to tack down, so he wanted me to avoid twisting motions, and liftin my arm too high. I had an ace bandage around my chest after aspiration and it did the trick. i kept it on allthe time except for an hour a day.
  • Chickadee1955
    Chickadee1955 Member Posts: 356 Member
    #4
    carkris said:

    It was explained to me that
    It was explained to me that when there is a space fluid fills it. My surgeon wanted it to tack down, so he wanted me to avoid twisting motions, and liftin my arm too high. I had an ace bandage around my chest after aspiration and it did the trick. i kept it on allthe time except for an hour a day.

    I have had my seroma drained
    I have had my seroma drained 4-5 times by needle aspiration. I then had a drain put back in for 3 weeks. I had fluid return immediately. No infection and not a very large amount, but it just doesn't seem to matter what we've done: drain, aspiration, drain, ACE bandage. I saw my surgeon last week and we agreed to just leave it alone for awhile and seem if the fluid begins to absorb. I can tell there has been some additional fluid accumulate, but I think all we were doing just continued to irritate the area. We'll see what he wants to do this Friday.

    I saw another post some time back in which one 'sister' said that her seroma resolved once she had reconstruction and the 'space' was filled with something.

    Good luck.
  • GrandmaMir
    GrandmaMir Member Posts: 21 Member
    #5
    Thanks, sisters. At least
    Thanks, sisters. At least now I know I'm not so different when the fluid keeps coming back.

    Miriam
  • carkris
    carkris Member Posts: 4,553 Member
    #6
    GrandmaMir said:

    Thanks, sisters. At least
    Thanks, sisters. At least now I know I'm not so different when the fluid keeps coming back.

    Miriam

    nope "seroma sisters" yet
    nope "seroma sisters" yet another club nobody wants to join LOL
  • aisling8
    aisling8 Member Posts: 1,627 Member
    #7
    carkris said:

    nope "seroma sisters" yet
    nope "seroma sisters" yet another club nobody wants to join LOL

    I had one, too
    Mine was under my arm at the sentinel node biopsy incision. It arrived within a week and I had it aspirated, but just like yours, it filled right back up. Went back, had it aspirated again. Same thing. Third time, the surgeon aspirated blood and said it had become a hematoma. She prescribed antibiotics and within a couple of weeks it went away on its own. She'd tried doing the Ace wrap thing, but that's awfully hard to manage when it involves under your arm. It was annoying. And sometimes uncomfortable. And funny thing, it was the only thing in this whole process that made me cry. Stupid, I know.

    Hope yours resolves sooner rather than later.

    Victoria
  • cahjah75
    cahjah75 Member Posts: 2,631
    #8
    Miriam what I
    thought were seromas under my arms where nodes were removed turned out to be lumps of skin from my back where the end of my incisions were. I saw my surgeon Tuesday and he said they would eventually flatten and if not he would do a simple procedure to correct it. Hang in there and this too shall pass:)
    Char
  • pinkflower
    pinkflower Member Posts: 5
    #9
    seroma
    I just returned from my plastic surgeon and she had to drain a seroma in my back. She got 400cc of fluid out of my back. I had reconstruction surgery 4 weeks ago the back flap procedure with expander on right side a year after double masectomy, removal 16 lymph nodes, The left only has expander. Last week my doctor had to remove the back drain early because of infection. She told me everything was fine but she knew she would have to drain it today. She also said she may have to put ace wrap around it next week. She said it will get better. Then I had my second fill of 60 in each side. Just another thing to go through.
  • Shmurallo651
    Shmurallo651 Member Posts: 2 *
    #10


  • Shmurallo651
    Shmurallo651 Member Posts: 2 *
    #11

    Hi Everyone, I’m brand new and have so many questions but, as I read about your collective issues with seromas, I see I’m not alone. My surgeon says the body will absorb the fluid but, in the meantime it’s painful/uncomfortable. Also it’s delaying my radiation treatment until it heals which surgeon says will be about three weeks.

    Does anyone have a home remedy for dealing with seromas?

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