After 15 months of going back and forth to have seroma drained they are going to operate tomorrow to sort it out. apparently my body interpreted the mastectomy as a hole that needs to be filled, and it has formed a capsule - so they are going to strip that, and all the fibrous tissue out.
Not worried about the op, but am worried about how they will give the anaesthetic, as all the veins in my left arm have collapsed due to the aggressive type of chemo I had, and of course they can’t use the right arm as it’s the side I had the mastectomy. They have mentioned about doing it in my leg, but apparently that hurts —I’m a cowardy custard aren’t I ?.
Good luck, Lemongrove. I’ve had a canula in my foot before I got my port, and it wasn’t so bad. Just make sure they put the numbing cream on before and give it time to work.
finty x
Hi Lemongrove
I wish you well for your op. Seromas area bl**dy awful things!
I also had a line put in my foot twice (2 separate ops). One anaesthetist was really kind and gave me a whiff of gas first to knock me out. It’s more painful than on your hand it’s true but honestly it is bearable.
take care, Elinda x
Good luck.
Hi there, good luck for your op tomorrow. I have the same problem as you and posted a question on another page. but have had no response.
I am 2 years down the line from mastectomy, I also had problems with seroma and had it drained 9 times before I started chemo and was told it was best not to have it done any more. I always had a swelling but was told it would absorb. I October the surgeon opened my scar as I found a lump on it, fortunately there was nothing sinister. The wound was glued this time but within days I had the swelling again. On my check up 2 weeks later I told the consultant as I could here the fluid sloshing around, again I was told it would absorb. Just days later on 3rd November the wound burst open with a fountain of fluid, very scary. Since then I have been having the wound packed and dressed every day and the fluid still keeps coming. I see the consultant in 10 days time and he said if there was no improvement he would stitch the wound again, what worries me is will it burst open again with the build up of fluid. They keep telling me it is not a seroma after all this time but after reading your post I have my doubts. Would be interested to hear from you or anyone else about this situation.
Lemongrove Good Luck Tomorrow with the seroma I have now had mine for nearly 4 years! Mine was drained about 3 years ago and filled up immediately. I must admit mine fills the space left where I had my lumpectomy, so it improves my cleavage, but it can be uncomfortable.
Pam, mine has never been reabsorbed! I doubt it will after all this time. They can be around for ages, mine is about the size of a satsuma.
Has anyone else had one for longer than this? Just wondering if mine will ever go without intervention,
Hi Girls
Just to add my seroma story - Following my MX I had a seroma which was drained several times but decreased enough for rads to go ahead. Following rads the seroma got gradually worse and over a period of 7 months was drained many times both in clinic and under ultrasound to ensure it was clear. I realised that the skin around my MX scar was becoming red and hot but it was christmas and I could only be seen at A & E who gave me antibiotics. These had no effect and by the time I saw my surgeon in clinic he took one look and admitted me then and there to have surgery to have the scar reopened and the seroma which had become severely infected drained and flushed. Because of the infection they wouldn’t stitch the wound and it took 10 months of packing and dressing for it to eventually heal. What was a neat tidy scar after my original surgery is now horrible, lumpy and very uneven. They have offered to do further surgery to hopefully sort the disfigurement out but enough is enough and I don’t trust my body to heal properly.
The BCN nurses kept telling me that seromas sort themselves out if left alone but as this thread proves that is not always the case.
Good luck tomorrow Lemongrass. By the way my anaesthetic was administered in my ‘good’ hand but they put the blood pressure monitor on my leg
Andie
Hi Lemongrove,
Just wanted to wishn you luck for tomorrow, hope it sorts it out for you!
Will be in touch soon about another Sussex meet-up if your up for it?
Love Julie xx
Hi everybody, I’m going into hospital later on this morning, but wanted to thank those who have posted their kind wishes, and also to comment on the seroma problem that some have mentioned.
Nicky 65, my Doctors told me that usually they advise patients to leave the seroma alone, because in most cases the body eventually absorbs the fluid. However, in cases like mine, the fluid is not absorbed, because the body interprets the mastectomy site as a hole which it needs to encapsulate. So no matter how many times it is drained, it just fills again. So you think this could be what is happening with you ?.
Pam 170, your seroma sounds different to mine, because you mention that you can feel/hear fluid sloshing around. Becasue my body has formed a capsule, the fluid is held very firmly - in fact it looks a bit like a small implant. For example, if you were to look/feel my seroma, it looks/feels as though I have a tangerine under the skin, it doesn’t move around (and being quite firm it is very uncomfortable to lay on it).
Also, JulieD, I’m really looking forward to seeing all the Sussex ladies again. I had a lovely time. Maybe next time we could organise lunch - you’re all welcome at my place as I said before.
Anyway, that’s it. Psyching myself up for the the struggle for them to put in the cannula now .
Lemongrove XXX
Hi lemongrove
Good luck for your op today.
I had a mx in april last year and still have a seroma. MRI scan showed that it too has formed a sack around it…radiographer asked if I had an implant as that is what it looked like on scan.
I went to see surgeon in march but he’s decided to leave it alone as it isn’t to big. I’d like to have it drained or removed as somedays it’s very uncomfortable. I find my bra’s with prosthesis in don’t sit flat because of it.
I’ve got my next appointment in May so will ask if there’s anything he can do. I think they are fed up with me as each time I go I seem to have a different problem and I seem paranoid to myself so I must to the doctors.
Hope all is well today
Chris xx
Hi Lemongrove
I had a busy day yesterday so didn’t see your post until this morning. I hope all goes well for you and this op sorts everything out. As if we haven’t got enough to deal with!
Best wishes, I will be thinking of you. Sue xx
Thinking of you Lemongrove and hoping the canulla is not a problem - and that the recovery goes smoothly
Fran
I missed this thread too - I suppose not having experience of seromas I hadn’t looked. Bit late Lesley but wishing you well for the op tomorrow. It’s funny how the little things loom large - I dread the very thought of accessing veins in my legs/feet more than the op! Hope whatever they do - you aren’t suffiently with it to worry!
Dawn
xx