I had lumpectomy and sentinel node biopsy this week. Operation went ok, but immediately afterwards in the recovery area I developed a haemotoma. Had it reviewed by the surgeon and then breast nurse 2 days later. They didn’t seem to bothered but its large, and I can feel the fluid sloshing around when I do my exercises. It feels really tight and quite uncomfortable. Has anyone else had one and how was it managed?
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Hi I’m sure someone with a similar haematoma will respond. I had lots of bruising but nothing filled with fluid, it did take weeks for it all to settle down. You could call the BCN nurses who have a wealth of knowledge and experience on 0808 800 6000 m-f 9-4 sat 9-1. Otherwise give your breast care nurse a call, if like mine, leave a message and they can get back to you. I was reviewed after two weeks with pathology results so hopefully you have an appointment booked soon.
If it was me and it didn’t feel right I would speak to someone and hopefully get it checked.
Take care
I had a large haematoma after similar surgery and was kept in for a couple of nights on IV antibiotics for two days and then oral ones at home. When I finished them I still had a massively swollen boob and it became progressively more painful and discoloured. After a few days of indecision as to whether it was ok or not I was in a lot of pain so went back and presented myself to the surgical assessment unit at the hospital and they tried to aspirate it under ultrasound which wasn’t successful. They then admitted me and I had a second operation to clear it all out - they took out 250ml from two haematomas. The relief afterwards was instant!
If you are at all concerned I’d say don’t ignore your gut feeling and seek further help. I’m sure they’d rather see you and put your mind at rest.
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Thank you for the reply, so far it isn’t too painful. Your haemotoma was huge!. I reckon mine only has about 60mls in it.
I think the fact that both the surgeon and the breast nurse saying they were not worried about it makes me reluctant to go back there again as I feel I am wasting their time. They did reassure me at the time. But it will be a week this Wednesday, I thought it would be reducing by now.
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I think it’ll take quite a while longer than a week for it to resolve but if you are at all concerned go back again - they really won’t mind and will want to put your mind at rest.
So my chemo due to start Wednesday this week was cancelled due to my lumpectomy scar becoming hard and lumpy and I had redness spreading around it and on the opposite side of my breast. I saw a breast care surgeon on Tuesday and been put on 10 days of antibiotics. Had an ultrasound and there’s a pool of stuff deep under the scar site. She aspirated it as much as possible and the conclusion is that’s it’s remaining haematoma which has decided to play up for some reason 7 weeks after I had the two large haematomas totalling 250ml surgically removed two weeks after my lumpectomy in June.
I was so disappointed as was all geared up to start chemo this week. I’m being reviewed by both my surgeon and oncologist next Monday but no chemo next week either as can’t have it while I’m on the antibiotics. I’m hoping the next week will be ok to start - I’m very anxious about the delay but obviously have to be safe.
I hope your haematoma resolves very soon but as I said get reassurance if you’re at all worried xx
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Sorry your chemo has been delayed, it can be frustrating. During my chemo I had adjustments in dose and weeks off (weekly Paclitaxel) due to infection. Which if you have joined the monthly chemo starters group will find it happens to a lot of people.
I had my bi lateral lumpectomy just over 3 years ago and was told I had clear margins and no spread to the lymph nodes, then chemo/herceptin, radiotherphy, aromatase inhibitors and zoledronic acid. I wasn’t and still haven’t been told I’m cancer free, even my yearly mammograms say ‘ no areas of concern’. My local support group have all said similar but a while back I heard Dr Liz O’Riordan say as a breast surgeon she would believe you were cancer free after this but they don’t say it to patients. But now she is a cancer patient she wants to share this. It made me feel a lot better. I’m still on aromatase inhibitors for another 2 1/2 years and have my final zoledronic in September. My team don’t say your are in remission/cancer free until your at 5 years. It’s a long time to wait.
Waiting for chemo shouldn’t be a problem as the cancer has been removed surgically and the chemo, like mine, is to ‘mop’ up and rogue cells along with radiotherapy.
Take care of yourself. Sometimes you just have to go with the flow on this journey.
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I’ll second getting back in touch with your team. They may assume it’s resolved itself as you haven’t contacted them again.
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Well update on the haemotoma. The bruising around it has resolved, but swelling is still the same and now its gone very red, so am thinking I may have a seroma which is infected contacting the team in the morning 
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Yes @burstcouch definitely get it looked at today - you may need it aspirated under ultrasound or need antibiotics - or both as in my case 
I think the heat may not be helping!
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Thank you. No heat here, I am in Scotland with my jacket on!
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Hope you get it looked at soon. Take care
@burstcouch I hope you managed to get looked at and things are resolving?
I saw that comment from Liz O’ Reardon about being cancer free after surgery, which in my view may not be true if you then find cancer in the sentinel lymph nodes.
Ok so I saw the breast nurse on Friday. She aspirated the fluid. Turns out it was a seroma with some old blood in it. They are sending some of the fluid to the lab. I was started on Flucloxacillin for 7 days. It felt much better afterwards, not all of the fluid was removed and they did say that it may fill up again.
I was told I have some ‘cording’ too. I had not heard of that before. It’s mainly contained under my armpit and that where the tingling and sharp pain is.
And so it continues.
Hi ,
I had a lot of fluid after a mastectomy for 65mm tumour. Fluid kept collecting which my surgeon aspirated weekly n for nearly six weeks , the amount of fluid was increasing & in the end I asked what he was going to do as his method was not working .
He was rather off hand but I asked him to feel all around the scar as I thought there was a lump.
In the end he got an ultrasound done which revealed 2 large detached floating Sedona’s. I had to be readmitted for surgery to remove them.
This delayed my radiation treatment by 3 months .. I was upset that he had not been interested to find out why fluid was constantly building .. you need to ask questions & insist on some real answers or interrogation in my view .
Sorry about typo… not Sedonas but Seromas.