leaking fluid after draining (mx post op)

hi all
ive just noticed a leak, tiny drops, of fluid from the point where the needle went in yesterday when fluid was drained off. ive been going about every 4/5 days and there is just a little pouch keeps filling up above the scar. ive done nothing at all today, just lazing around, i wondered if anyone else had had this happen. ive tested it with tissue and found the exact spot. ?? any ideas??
angiexx

Hi angie
Id give your BC nurse a wee ring, or do you still have contact with the district nurse? I had some leakage after my MX but I still had daily checks from the DN who sorted it out for me. Id imagine there could be a risk of infection if there is a leak?
Hope it gets sorted and youre on the road to recovery.
Best of luck for the future
Cathie x

Hi angie.
i think I’m the same. Had surgery last Monday MX and ANC and had drain removed on Monday this week. Since then have grown a big bag of fluid in my side just above where the drain exit was. It is leaking slightly from the drain hole. Yuk. Got appt this afternoon at the breast care unit for them to have a look. Not sure if they will drain it off or leave it. They told the when the drain came out ppl often feet a fluid build up but not to worry unless it got “big” - well just how big is “big”?
My fluid lump is I guess the size of a squashed grapefruit. Can’t hold it all in my hand. How big is your “wee pouch” angie? _ and you have had it drained before? You say every 4/5 days? How long ago was your surgery?
Its flipping painful. And I can’t manage to do the arm exercises we are supposed to do post surgery.
Hope you get it sorted soon x

Hi there
If you’ve got some leakage it would be a good idea to have a sterile dressing over it with some absorbency - you’ve probably done that! I had a really pesky seroma after my ANC in January - it has only resolved in the last two weeks. I was going every week to have it drained - at its most they were draining over half a litre off (early March). Hang on in there - things WILL get better. Still early days…
Good luck
Maggyx

hi all
went to gp surgery nurse and got a dressing to protect the hole from infection and going to see my nurse in the morning at the hospital so she can investigate, quite a lot of fluid came out, but its slowed down a bit now. bit odd, but there you go, new things every day eh?
thankyou all,
angie xx

catzoo
im 4 wks post mx, the draining is getting less and less but as the fleshy parts heal apparently the space for the fluid is less. i have had regular drains so that it couldnt build up too much because it got painful, i have my macmillan nurse who i just ring and she either comes to me or i go to hospital to see her. i believe some nurses dont like to drain too often to prevent infection, the exercises are a bit difficult with a pouch, but to be honest they are difficult without a pouch too. hope you get some releif today, let me know how you get on.
angie xx

140mls of goo removed today. Thought there would be more but the nurse said some of it was fat! Feels a lot better but still sore.
Got just an elastoplast now over the drain hole.
Got told off for not persevering with exercises so had a go when I go home. Did ok walking fingers up the wall. Can’t lift arm above shoulder height yet tho. Will keep it up now.
Are you still leaking Angie? Did you call BCN?

hi catzooo
leaking has stopped, i have a macmillan nurse because im very rural, so i’ll see her tommorrow.
keep up with the finger walking
angie xx

fluid under arm has built up again. It looks like I have grown a new boob on my side. Bigger than it was last Thursday when it was drained. And it hurts. A lot. Have to walk very slowly and carefully as it swings around and hurts.
I know I can call and go back to hospital to get it drained again, but it will only fill up again. So have decided to wait out and hope my body soon starts to re-absorb it.
Am on track now doing the exercises. Sretching just til it starts to pull a bit,
Good to hear you have stopped leaking Angie! But if its not leaking is it still building up into a lump?