When I should get a seroma checked

Ask our Nurses your questions
1

Hi
I had an axillary clearance 2.5 weeks ago and have a seroma under my armpit above my surgery scar. I have today laid off the exercises a little and it has reduced in size. It is about the size of an egg, I thought it would just go by itself and was wondering whether it should have gone by now or is it normal to have one at this stage. It is not bothering me especially, only that I don’t want to do the wrong thing and later find out doing nothing has caused long term lymphodema.

Thanks for any advice you can offer.

2

Hiya, i had axillary clearance plus single mastectomy also 2.5 weeks ago and have a seroma near the breast bone about the size of a fried egg and a smaller one in the armpit. I’m planning to speak to the BC nurses tmrw and ask them if i should pop into clinic so they can have a look (luckily for me the clinic is close). Will let you know how i get on. Good luck xx

1 Like
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Thank you @mac1sailing x

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Just spoke to one of the BC nurses, she said as long as it isn’t tight and/or uncomfortable, it’s OK. But she said I could pop into the clinic tomorrow and they would have a look, so I’ll do that. Don’t know if that helps at all xx

5

Hi jenhopeful

Thanks for your post.

It can be difficult to know what to expect following surgery. It’s not uncommon to develop a seroma following axillary clearance. If you haven’t already, as @mac1sailing says, we would always suggest you let your breast care nurse know about any new symptoms you are experiencing. For most people the seroma will be reabsorbed by the body over time, but if it causes discomfort or doesn’t improve over the coming weeks, your treatment team or breast care nurse may decide to draw off (aspirate) the fluid using a syringe and needle.

The development of a seroma does not impact the likelihood of developing lymphoedema. You may be interested to read our information on reducing your risk of lymphoedema, and continuing with the post-surgery exercises you have been doing can also help.

Talking to someone who has had a similar experience can often be helpful. Our Someone Like Me service can match you with a trained volunteer who’s had a similar experience to you. You can be in touch with your volunteer by phone or email and they can share their personal experiences to answer your questions, offer support or simply listen to how you are feeling.

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Best wishes

Katie

Breast Care Nurse

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