I had my surgery in Feb 09, a bilateral MX following 6 months of chemo.
Post surgery I had seromas drained several times which delayed rads, but eventually they went ahead.
At the beginning of June a seroma formed which was drained twice but refilled, at which point the surgeon said that he wanted to leave it to reabsorb on its own. At the beginning of November it had become very hard and uncomfortable verging on painful. One of the registrars agreed that the situation was unacceptable and arranged to have it drained under ultra sound. Unfortunately it refilled within a week, I suspect to a greater degree than before.
They are now beginning to talk about a further operation to remove the sac where the seroma forms. Has anyone else had this who could tell me what is involved and how successful it was.
I’m sorry this problem is ongoing. I haven’t heard of this op exactly although one surgeon I saw said that she had twice performed surgery again when seromas wouldn’t heal. I know they can be contained in a sac. She didn’t mention this but talked about washing out - she said it was rare I think twice in 14 years - but from the sound of it successful. We didn’t talk about it in much detail and she was at the same time trying to reassure me that my seromas would reabsorb.
Do you feel that you can ask your surgeon more about this including success rates? Sounds like you haven’t been given much info.
I saw the registrar yesterday and despite the fact that my surgery was in Feb this year he still insists it is early days and they want to continue monitoring. I am waiting for an appointment to have it drained yet again under ultra sound. Surgery will be the last option but not yet.
This is all just so frustrating, when they are dealing with people going through BC treatment I’m sure my BCN’s are fed up with me, but I can’t deal with this without their input.DIY draining is not an option!!
I have been told that seromas can take a long time to heal, that they do eventually and to be patient. I’ve had mine since June so I can only imagine your frustration!
I also understand what you mean about the BC nurses. I’ve had other problems as well and I’m sure they think I’m a complete pain. I’ve had my seroma on the left drained 5 or 6 times now and the one on the right 2 times. That one has always been small and a few days after I saw the surgeon again a couple of weeks ago and we decided to leave it, it filled up more! I’m starting radiotherapy in another area and staying with my mum so I can’t even go and get it drained now.
I’m just trying to keep optimistic that things will eventually settle. In your case I would think it’s worth another try to drain before embarking on more surgery. When did you finish all your treatment? I think that our bodies are so much slower in healing after all that.
I had a mx left breast in May then had a seroma that was drained, 600mls, then had a wash out, then the seroma was drained about 5 more times but i have had no problems since.Well not with the seroma! I then had another mx (obviously right breast!!)at the end of September, I still have a seroma on that side, I’ve had it drained several times, I think 5. I have since tried to leave it and see if it will reabsorb but no luck so far. I am thinking of having it drained again so that I can get a second protheses (sorry not sure of spelling). I am fed up with softies moving towards my shoulders everytime I move! I have always tried not to get the seromas drained until I was really uncomfortable.
Yes I do go to St Richard’s. Like you I’ve had a double mastectomy (one for cancer, one risk-reducing). We must be seeing the same BC nurses! They’ve been a bit reluctant at times to drain without the surgeon seeing me or it being a clinic day - have you found the same? I can understand though that they want to be cautious.
I haven’t been wearing my softies as I wasn’t sure how that would work with a seroma there - I might give it a go.
Just thought I’d mention my experience. Like some other ladies here I had a persistent seroma that needed continual draining. After 6 months it still didn’t look like it was going to clear up! It initially delayed chemo, but eventually they decided to go ahead, I still needed to have the seroma drained & was taking antibiotics to reduce likelihood of infection….however it did get infected and I ended up in hospital. So the surgeon needed to operate to ‘sort it out’ once and for all. There was no mention of any ‘sac’ but whatever they did cleared it up. The operation was quite quick and I didn’t really have much pain. I had a drain in for 1 week and was very reluctant to give it back as I’d had just about enough of seromas by this stage. For me the continual trips to the clinic to have it drained along with all the other trips for chemo, blood test etc really wore me down… although it did delay my last 2 chemo treatments until I had recovered it was very pleasing to get rid of it.
Don’t know if it helps but I was advised to wear my bra all the time with my ‘sofie’ in to keep pressure on the seroma.
I hope anyone out there with a seroma manages to get them sorted…one way or another.
Thanks for your reply. At the moment the registrar still wants to take the conservitive route and only resort to surgery if it becomes absolutely essential.My surgery was 10 months ago but he insists it is still early days.
Could I ask a couple of questions. When you say you were advised to wear your bra and softie-was that day and night or just daytime.
Did the surgery require much of a hospital stay, and finally did they have to open up the complete scar or just a small bit?
This is where this forum is absolutely priceless, there is always someone who has had the problem and can answer questions.
Yes the BC nurses have sometimes been reluctant to drain the seroma, but I have twice had it drained by the surgeons in clinic because the BCNs couldn’t do it that day.
Andie When I had a washout they opened all the scar but that was only because I had had an immediate reconstruction with expandable implant that they had to remove too. I then had a drain put in again, but it was only left in for 3 days and I was still draining 150 mls a day. The op was very quick and recovery straight forward. I was given a compression garment (not my best look!) which I wore night and day for about a month. Then I was told to wear a stretchy
post surgery bra with softies to exert some pressure, I used to wear the bra at night but take the softies out. It seemed to work for me as I was having seroma drained 3 x week to start with but it cleared up after 6 weeks.
I had my second mx at a different hospital and had competely different advice!
Hi Andie, I can’t offer any help unfortunately but I just wanted to say sorry you are really suffering with this seroma problem aren’t you, I can’t believe what problems you’ve had and for so long too.
Are you prepared for the Guiness Book of Records, “longest seroma” section??? LOL
Seriously I hope you get some advice and some treatment quickly to ease your pain and discomfort.
That is one record that I would quite happily surrender. It was drained again yesterday and I am back to see the surgeon next week. Fortunately as this is being done under ultra sound any lingering worries that there is something sinister lurking underneath have been allayed because even I can see that the skin layer is just that-skin!
Yes, I was told to wear my bra with sofie day and night. Only a part of the scar was reopened for the operation and it was along the original scar so there was no additional scarring from the procedure. I was in hospital anyway due to the infection so wouldn’t really know the length of stay. It was performed under a general, but I got the feeling it wasn’t anything too involved so would guess that it could be done as day case or overnight…but I’m guessing.
I thought at 6 months I would hold a record but 10 months is so long AND you say your surgeon says it’s early days? Sounds like an awful long time to me! I couldn’t have my prosthesis fitted until it had gone down so I was pleased to see the back of it!
Got to run now my husband is shouting that my wine is getting warm… and we can’t drink warm white wine…he’s now shouting that he’s going to drink my wine so will have to move double quick!
You are not alone.
I have had a seroma since my bilateral mx in February 2009, I am getting it drained twice a week under ultrasound but dont seem to be getting anywhere fast. I get told it will stop they are just not sure when. Am now on first name terms with all the reception staff and consultants.
Hang on in there.
Annierose
You are not alone.
I have had a seroma since my bilateral mx in February 2009, I am getting it drained twice a week under ultrasound but dont seem to be getting anywhere fast. I get told it will stop they are just not sure when. Am now on first name terms with all the reception staff and consultants.
Hang on in there.
Annierose
When my post-surgery seroma was drained to try & get me back on track for delayed radiotherapy, I was given a proper silicone prothesis and told to wear it during the day to exert pressure to try to prevent the fluid from refilling. It did not work- it refilled but it possibly contributed to the infection/cellulitis I then got in the skin due to the enforced friction of skin layer aginst fluid/chest wall…Good luck!
Today at the third clinic visit in 3 weeks I was seen by the registrar, the surgeon and the oncologist. They all admit to being surprised, and a bit baffled. The next move is to be another draining under ultra sound and then a tight dressing to see if that stops it refilling. I asked if we eventually have to go down the surgery route if it was always successful and the honest answer was ‘No, we do it and then pray’
Thank goodness this dilema is seroma related and not BC related.
I think that I can beat that Seroma record - I have had my satsuma sized seroma since July 2007, I didn’t even know that it could disappear on its own. I had mine removed under ultrasound 2 years ago (3 syringes of fluid later and a caved in ‘breast’ only for it to have refilled by the time I’d got home.)
I realise though that I am in a different situation to you, as I want to keep mine! I had a WLE and the seroma has given me a ‘natural implant’ when I had it drained I almost cried when I saw how deformed my breast was, but with the seroma it almost looks normal. It is uncomfortable and I can’t lie on my stomach, but for vanity reasons it gives me a cleavage so I’m happy with it!
I think (although it was 2 years ago and my memory is a bit vague at the best of times) that my consultant said that they could extract it with a needle under ultrasound, as before. then inject a substance a bit like talcum powder to dry it up! I think so anyway!
Hope that those of you wanting to lose yours do so before too long!
I had a prophylactic mastectomy and LD flap reconstruction June 2008. I still have fluid on my back now on one side though it has got better. My seromas seemed to heal and then started up again and I was having them drained every week 6 months on. They did eventually seem to heal on their own, I just couldn’t face the endless trips to the hospital and the nurses seemed unwilling to do it after a while. It’s such a shame as I’ve had such a fabulous cosmetic result with my breasts and my surgeon has been fantastic.
I was just wondering if anyone had had any pain or lumps around the site of the flap on their back? Mine cause me a lot of pain and discomfort, I’m forever itching them and one side has formed a really hard lump over the scar where the seroma was and its bruised from the intensity of me rubbing it. I look like I’m growing a boob on my back! It feels really raw and my muscles feel so tight. I’ve had physio which has helped a bit but not really solved the problem. I don’t think they know what to do with me at the hospital and I know what you girls mean about the BC nurses, I daren’t ring mine anymore! I don’t mean to put anyone off as I would do it all again but if anyone has had anything similar or any advice I would really appreciate it. x
Sorry Linda cann’t help with any information re a seroma to do with recon. Mine is under the arm where the nodes were removed. I did not opt for recon and now having this problem I’m really glad I didn’t. I get a lot of discomfort and itching as you say but not where the seroma is, its were I can only assume the seroma is pushing against tissue inside somewhere.
I think the problem I have with the BC nurses is in my head. I feel guilty about contacting them when they are dealing with people needing support dealing with either primary or secondary BC. They have actually been great, as have my surgeons- I think they really have little idea how to deal with me and when my surgeon who is very experienced says my case is very unusual,and obviously is trying anything that might have a remote chance of working I think I might have to resign myself to living with this.