Hi. I had my DIEP reconstruction 6 days ago. I’m doing really well and improving everyday. Today, after my shower I had my first real look at it all. I’m obviously swollen and have 2 areas of seroma which I know is common.
What startles me most though is a heavily swollen pubic mound just below bikini line. In my pants i look like I’m hiding a rolled up sock in there! It feels liquidy, not firm. Seeing nurse on Friday. When i spoke to her and described it, she said she’d check on Friday.
Oh dear, I was hoping people would say it was totally expected and normal. I can speak to reconstruction nurses and I have left a voicemail but i have no other point of contact. I’m seeing the nurse on Friday too. Thanks for replying x
I wouldn’t say totally expected. Normal? Well yeah. Seromas are common after a diep. I had a few around my abdominal incision scar. I ended up binding a lot during the day as a result for a couple of months afterwards. It went away eventually and no draining required.
Thank you @Kay0987 . I will be asking on Friday fkr them to check it. It could be another seroma. Its where the 2 abdominal drains were. I feel so gross - uncomfortable, fatter than ever. My husbad keeps saying its only been 6 days and i get that but i didnt expect to feel so much bigger with fluid. X
I’ve read it can take a while for the body to absorbed and heal and after only 6 days I would let my surgeons know, but I wouldn’t be too concerned. I’ve also read of ladies having this fixed during phase 2 if it doesn’t go away. If it isn’t painful and red or infected I would be more bothered than concerned, but that’s me.
Thank you @rockym. I’ve felt a little more positive today though no call back again from my nurse. I’ve left 2 messages today. Swelling is still bad but no worse. It feels like fluid and not sore or inflammed, so youre probably right about it being nothing too get too stressed about. Thank you x
Hi. I had a diep reconstruction in june 2023. I didnt have a lot of pain. Had a seroma at one side of my stomach. My surgeon and nurse said it was normal abd not too worry as would go on its own. It didnt. I woke up one morning with the fluid all over me and my mattress soaked with this horrible yellow fluid. I then had to have a machine attached to me to drain any more that might still be there. Then changed to another type so that i could get out. The whole process took 2 weeks and 3 more for the hole to heal. It wasnt great. I also developed the swollen pubic area a couple of weeks after the surgery. Nobody was particularly interested in this and just told me it would all heal in time. Sorry to say i still have swollen lady bits. I also still suffer from an uncomfortable tightness regularly. I waited 7 years for this procedure to remove my necrotic tissue expander. I often wonder if other ladies have experienced similar. I hope you have different experience. I would be interested to know what your nurse says. Xx
Crikey @Sandra_G that sounds very unpleasant. Where did the fluid come out of? The wound? I look like I’ve got a penis, I’m so swollen down there. It’s only day 7 but I am stressed out about this more than anything else. There’s a seroma below diep wound and a bigger one in new breast. I’ll post on here when I’ve seen the nurse. My hospital only leaves drains in for 5 days, regardless of output. Mine were doing 300ml in 24 hours when they were removed. The nurse who removed them said I’d probably get seromas, but i didnt expect one in my pubic area!
Four months after my surgery i started grtting pain in my pelvis, thigh and into my groin. My gp diagnosed sciatica. I googled and read in more than one place that abdominal surgery could cause this. I got in touch with my surgeon and he said was nothing that he had done. For the first time in 7 years i didnt think this pain might be the cancer back. My whole leg became numb. I was struggling with the pain. I went on the sick. My gp eventually asked me if i would like to be referred to orthopedics. Obviously i said yes. He said the symptoms sounded like femoral nerve damage. Advised an Mri but didnt know how long i would wait. We decided to go private and waited 6 weeks for that too. After 7 months of pain i had mri on 6th may. On 9th may the orthopedic consultant phoned me to tell me it was cancer. A tumor on my spine pressing on a nerve. And further spread to my pelvis and soft tissue which i still dont know where that is. I don’t ask a lot of questions…scared to hear the answers. Ct scan showed spread to pelvis,ribs,spine and skull which really freaked me out. Been told it doesn’t mean it will spread to the brain. But the fear is there.
So its treatable and after first 6 months on treatment ct scan showed im responding to treatment and they were pleased with the results. Thats where i am…scanned every 6 months. Hoping for the best. Positive most of the time bit i have my low days. Sorry for the depressing story.
@Sandra_G I’m to sad to hear this and I’m sorry that you had to wait so long to get the answers you needed. Thank goodness that your treatment plan is working. Long may it continue. I hope all goes well. Xxx
