My surgery was just over 6 weeks ago. I had a bilateral mastectomy and have a seroma on the left side. It is not painful just uncomfortable.
Compared to some of the posts I have read on these forums it is not enormous…I compare it to a hot water bottle sitting where my breast used to be (but without the heat) Some days it seems fuller than others.
I can quite understand that they say they’d rather not drain it because (a) it could introduce infection and (B) it would probably just come back again.
When I ask how long it will take to go away they just say “It could be some time.”
I would like to know if this could be weeks, months or years.
Can anyone tell me how long their’s took to go.
thanks
Sorry Lynnq - can’t help with this one (had seroma drained following WLE)… but thought best to bump to a wider audience. Good luck, Gill
Hi Lynnq - I had a seroma drained a month ago and it’s back even bigger than before. I’m going to the hospital next week to get it checked but I reckon they’ll just drain it again. I’m not sure why they happen but mine is extremely uncomfortable. I hope your breast care team are keeping an eye on it.
Good luck
X Yvonne
Hi Lynnq. Poor you it’s annoying isn’t it? I’m also nearly 6 weeks post mx and had a seroma which gave me a lot of discomfort. I had it drained twice, they then said they’d leave it as there was risk of infection. However my wound wouldn’t heal and after a bout of antibiotics it improved and along with that the pain and discomfort subsided. The onc now thinks the seroma was infected. 
Anyway Lynn it still lingers and like you I’m told it will eventually go. What has helped is massaging my arm, armpit and chest with e45 cream. I got a huge bottle on prescription, free! Although I now has some cording . . Ouch!
Hope you continue to recover well. Take care and hugs Emma xx
hi Lynnq, I also had a bilateral mx, seroma was drained three times on my left side and eventually was told it would have to get better on its own, unfortunately it took over a year to clear, however it did go and although not happy with my new shape do feel slightly better now that everything has settled down. good luck xx
Hi…I had right Mx 19 months ago and had a seroma drained 3 times…I was a C cup to start with and my seroma was about a B cup…it settled down after the 3rd drain…it wasn’t uncomfortable or painful in any way but my chemo was delayed because of the risk of infection…apple
PS…it took 10 weeks to settle down…
It’s so variable. Some women have it drained once and it settles, others a couple of times and some of us took longer. Mine took 4 months to settle and I had it drained quite a few times. The important thing is that although it may not seem like it ever will, it does eventually dry up and disappear.
My chemo wasn’t delayed and I had it drained literally the day of first chemo when my bloods were good and my infection risk low but then I could not have it done again after chemo and before rads. I had minimal seroma fluid during chemo anyway so that was okay. I had the final one done before rads and then it settled down completely.
Don’t get disheartened. Hopefully for all of you with seromas this will be a quick process and they’ll settle very quickly.
Elinda x
Hi,
I’ve had 2 seromas, one after mx and I would describe exactly as you have, like a hot water bottle. I didn’t have it drained and it settled down after about 1 month (I had rads on the area 5 weeks after mx).
I had the other seroma after my diep recon on my tummy and it was under my diep scar. It was quite gross as it leaked out of thescare. I had this drained once and they didn’t want to do it again because of the risk of infection. That seroma settled down after about 8 weeks. I did wear big supportive pants which helped I think. I found it was better in the morning and quite uncomfortable at night. Have you tried awearing something tight and supportive across your chest? Maybe a stretchy Lycra type vest, like a sports one? Xxxxx