How to manage seroma post mastectomy?
I had mastectomy surgery on 2 August and am seeking advice on how to manage a seroma. I had a poor experience after my last mastectomy surgery-staph infection, seroma drained by hand in ward, it wa...
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HI there,
Ive not heard of a surgeon not using drains. Regardless, for my first mastectomy, I had two drains which took 8 days before fluid output was reduced enough for my Plastic Surgeon to allow me to go home.
I developed a large Seroma in the breast space which also contained a tissue expander only mildly inflated with 100 mls in the week I was home. This was drained weekly of 500 mls ! for 4 weeks and very uncomfortable, filling and sloshing around. Unfortunately, combined with the start of chemo and plummeting immunity this led to an infection and hospitalisation with the removal of the expander.
My PS was devastated and I was disappointed but with some serious compression after this surgery, it did not return.
After chemo finished I had the second mastectomy and bilateral expanders inserted.
My PS was determined we would do everything to ensure the Seroma didn't return.
He filled both expanders with 350 miles during the surgery to limit the breast space and I wore a fabulous thick, tight compression crop top provided by him for the next 6 weeks.
Happy to say this worked for me.
Perhaps ask your surgeon about compression. They are all different in their approach and management but it was very effective for me.
Best of luck .
A.
Ive not heard of a surgeon not using drains. Regardless, for my first mastectomy, I had two drains which took 8 days before fluid output was reduced enough for my Plastic Surgeon to allow me to go home.
I developed a large Seroma in the breast space which also contained a tissue expander only mildly inflated with 100 mls in the week I was home. This was drained weekly of 500 mls ! for 4 weeks and very uncomfortable, filling and sloshing around. Unfortunately, combined with the start of chemo and plummeting immunity this led to an infection and hospitalisation with the removal of the expander.
My PS was devastated and I was disappointed but with some serious compression after this surgery, it did not return.
After chemo finished I had the second mastectomy and bilateral expanders inserted.
My PS was determined we would do everything to ensure the Seroma didn't return.
He filled both expanders with 350 miles during the surgery to limit the breast space and I wore a fabulous thick, tight compression crop top provided by him for the next 6 weeks.
Happy to say this worked for me.
Perhaps ask your surgeon about compression. They are all different in their approach and management but it was very effective for me.
Best of luck .
A.