Hi there,I went to my Surgeon for my 1 week post-op and had in the previous 24 hours developed swelling to my breast. He sent me for an ultrasound which showed I had a seroma (fluid build up). It was painful and difficult to wear my post-op bra. I had it drained under ultrasound and they removed 135mls. It felt better immediately and had shrunk significantly!I find today that the swelling has started again and am starting to feel some discomfort again-the breast care nurse had said this may happen, but I wasn't expecting to happen so soon. I have emailed my surgeon as he had said I could potentially leave it but it would take 4-6 weeks to resolve. I am wondering if there is anyone else had this issue and if you continued to get it drained (at a cost of $350), or if it was left and how long it took to resolve?Thanks in advance.Michelle ;)

@afraser, I've often wondered that too; how crap life must have been that being sliced, diced, drained, poisoned, irradiated, burnt to a crisp, neutered, punctured, and scared shitless can be an improvement. Sheesh, maybe I do have something to be grateful for--a wild wide life for 43 years before the poo bit the fan and some pretty good times in the intervening years. Mxx

@Mjheke I want my old life back so much.

@kmakm Me too.My old life was really good. I lost so much.

Being "grateful" for cancer does rather beg the question of what one's life was like beforehand. Most people would prefer not to have ticked that box at all, and those that have been through it have very different experiences. As we hear ad infinitum, cancer is not one thing and people's experience of it is not one single definable thing either. Some of us have been able to get through with not too much physical or mental damage, perhaps a bit more self knowledge and appreciate years of living that just might never have happened. Personally, I view any variation on the "pain/misery/etc is sent to make us better people" line as insult added to injury!!

@AllyJay you have nailed it on the head, it truly makes my blood boil as well.

Seroma post-op | BCNA Online Network

33 Replies

Afraser
Member
7 years ago
I was thoroughly impressed i could hold that amount! No wonder I didn't look flat. It never got that much again, but I had about 6 aspirations around the 400mls mark. The body is remarkable if a bit inconvenient occasionally.
Mjheke
Member
7 years ago
@Afraser
1 1/2 litres! I felt uncomfortable with a much smaller amount! I can’t even imagine that. Thanks for your input :-)
Afraser
Member
7 years ago
Yep, refilled constanty. Your body is trying to help you by pushing nutrient rich fluid to the site and overdoing it. Conventional wisdom is that to disperse naturally is best, rather than to risk introducing infection by aspiration but as you already
have bacteria in your system naturally infection can occur anyway.

I didn't have to pay for aspiration( was covered by my insurance)but my observation was that draining only led to refilling.

I finally got my lympohoedema therapist to massage the seroma which was gradually working well but I got hit by a very bad infection ( bacteria in the seroma soup) ended up in hospital and surgery. That fixed it once and for all
but 12 months start to end. My first aspiration drew one ad a half litres. It can get a bit crazy.

I suggest you give it another go, but if it just fills up and is uncomfortable again you may want to discuss massage with your
surgeon. You need a trained therapist though.And yes, it may cost but see what's possible through your hospital.

Best wishes.

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Seroma post-op

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