Seromas

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I,m waiting for rads, probably the end of august but i am worred that it might be put back because my underarm is not healing. I had a lumpectomy and lymph node surgery a few weeks ago. I have no nodes involved but i keep getting seromas and continued leaking. Does this matter?

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Hi Julie
I was just about to start a post on a similar theme. I think it is anyway, is a seroma a build up of fluid/blood that needs regularly aspirating?I have had a very bad infection in my lymph nodes scar 1 week after surgery , it is 4 days later and growing, despite daily aspirations. I was told that the radiotherapy planning would be delayed until the wound is healed.

Take care and hope it clears soon

Nicky

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Hi Ladies,
Sounds like you are both having a pritty grotty time with your seronomas. I had a similar thing with the WLE as my boob swelled up enormously with all this horrid fluid and kept leeking. In the end the surgon went back in through the scar ( and scraped this jelly like stuff out), gave me some strong antibiotics and eventually it settled down (took about two wks). I imagine that is more difficult to do if it is under your arm and also the increased risk of lymphodema? Hope the antibiotics are working for you by now - try and rest too (although the BC nurse told me to continue with the post op exercises - difficult when it seemed to agrivate the leekage) Also ask for some painkillers so you can get a decent nights sleep.
Hope things improve soon cheers caroline

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Hi Julie

I had a full mastectomy with lymph clearance last week and I had two drains in that stopped working. After removing the drains I now have a large seroma right across my chest and under my arm. I keep telling everyone that I won’t need reconstruction as i’ve grown my own boob! I am on antibiotics because i started with a skin infection so they can’t aspirate until the infection has gone. My rads are due in August but the plastic team are certain that they will have got rid of the seroma before then.
Hope all goes well for you.
Chanel

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Hi Julie
I had WLE and lymph node clearance in Jan 2005. I had seroma probs under my arm. It felt like I had a tennis ball there. I had it drained every other day for 5 weeks. They were getting 100 - 150 mls each time but there are some women on this site who produced vast quantities. If it’s not painful then they prefer not to aspirate as there is an increased risk of infection. Tha body eventually absorbs the fluid. Can’t comment on whether it’ll affect the rads as I had to have a mastectomy (margins weren’t clear) and when they looked at the rest of the breast it was clear so didn’t need any. I had seroma under the mastectomy scar too but as this didn’t hurt they left it alone and it did disappear. Can’t remember how long though. Good luck with the rest of your treatment.
fantan

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Hi Julie,

I had a similar situation as fantan when I had my mastectomy and total axillary clearance in March. I developed a humungous seroma under my mastectomy scar. It honestly looked as though my boob had grown back and I had some serious cleavage going on! The area was very hot and swollen though. My surgeon was reluctant to drain it (due to the risk of infection) and I was more than happy with this! Anyway, I was told that eventually the fluid would either be reabsorbed by the body or would somehow find its way out.

Well, rather than being reabsorbed mine found its way out, BIG TIME!!! One morning I woke up to find the bed sheets and my pj’s were soaking wet. Anyway, I looked down and to my absolute horror I was leaking clear fluid from the middle of my masctectomy scar! I rang my bc nurse in state of panic who advised that, as the surgeon had previously explained, this was perfectly normal and not to worry. So, I just got a load of towels and covered the site with them!! It prob took a couple of days for it all to completely drain away, but what a relief it was afterwards!!!

Sorry if thats far too much info for you!! I wish you well with the rest of your treatment,

Take care,

Kelly
-x-

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Hi Julie

I went to see my consultant on Friday and she has now put a drain back in (further over). I wasn’t happy about this at first but i can see her logic. She is trying to drain the fluid away from the original infected site in an attempt to let the other scars heal, which they won’t do if they’re all puffy and constantly weeping.

I was quite upset as I got home, as the drain seems like a backwards step and wasn’t too pleasant being inserted with a local anaesthetic, then as I put my hand in my bag to pay the taxi driver my fingernail came off (post taxotere they have just been holding on !) So I went in the house and sobbed for ages. Just as you feel you’re getting somewhere there is a backwards step!

I also have my rads planned for late August, so keep in touch and let me know how you’re getting on!

Nicky

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Thanks for all your comments! I had it drained last week and i stopped doing my exercises, to try and stop leakage. It seems to have worked. Resting seems to be the key. Seeing oncologist for the first time tomorrow which feels a little scary.

Thanks again
JulieXXX