Forum Discussion
Post mastectomy swelling or seroma?
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 ...
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.
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.