Post mastectomy swelling or seroma?

khill72
khill72 Member Posts: 6 ✭
in General discussion

How did you guys tell the difference between post surgery swelling & seroma? I’m 3 weeks post mastectomy and have swelling well beneath my incision, it kind of looks like my boob is trying to grow back. I saw surgeon last Friday & he said it was potentially some fatty tissue that may have been left behind. My chest also feels quite tight, but I also have some cording. I’m not sure if the tightness/swelling is just normal for this stage of recovery or if I need any treatment to drain potential seroma. Should I contact BC nurse or see my GP or wait & see in coming days??
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  • Afraser
    Afraser Member Posts: 4,452 ✭
    The conventional wisdom with a seroma (which the swelling might be) is to
    try and let it drain naturally. Unless it is causing pain, I’d be tempted to leave it somewhat longer. A persistent seroma is one that lingers for months rather than weeks. I had one, and draining wasn’t a great solution either, it just refilled. Given it’s relatively early days and there are a number of possible reasons for the swelling, it may be best to monitor and see how things are in another three weeks. Keep your BC nurse informed though. 

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