I still have a large seroma 5 months after my surgery

Thanks. I cant even think about reconstruction until ive sorted this but hadnt thought that could give me another seroma! 

I had a seroma which I had drained 3 times though each time it was getting a bit less.  Then I was told that I would be better to leave it as it would eventually go on its own. It did get really big and even started pressing on my heart but it was monitored and 15 months after surgery I had an ultrasound which showed that it was extensive.  By this time it had obviously moved slightly as it was no longer giving me any heart problems. I did resort to wearing my 'softie' for a few weeks then it gradually reabsorbed over only a few days and now is no problem and I am not aware of any issue.  I went for my followup 18 months post surgery and the surgeon told me that it was almost imperceptible and I have had no problems since. Nasty while it lasted but able to put it behind me now.  Hope you have the same experience.

Thank you. Hopefully will sort itself out eventually.

Hi Shartom: I'm new to the forum but am looking for someone with experience with persistent seroma.  I had lumpectomy last July followed by 30 radiation treatments.  During later part of radiation I developed a hard seroma.  I was advice at the time that my body would reabsorb it.  However, in March I had a flu and suddenly my breast was inflamed and painful.  My surgeon put me on antibiotics right away, I have had four needle aspirations since and another round of antibiotics.  Seems the body will find weakest link and fluid in seroma got infected.  I still have what appears to be a cyst that when touched feels as if there is a pocket underneath.  I'm concerned I may have to have this lanced and cleaned out.  I should mention I had a Biozorb implanted during surgery that is suppose to disintegrate and leave behind six markers.  I wonder if the yellow fluid extracted is this device melting?  In hind sight I think the seroma should have been drained to prevent subsequent infection.  Any suggestions as how to proceed with this?  Hope you are doing well.  Thanks

Hi Resilent

Welcome to the online community. I'm not sure if Shartom is still using the site, so thought I would reply instead. My seroma got infected last year with a sore throat bacteria. It took some doing to get rid of the infection - lots of draining - twice a week at the hospital. I also developed an abscess at one point. 

The problem with seroma's - as you will see from the other posts, is that they tend to refill as soon as they are drained so lots of surgeons seem to prefer not to drain them. If they get infected though, it's very difficult to deal with the infection as there are no blood vessels etc in the fluid, so no way for antibiotics to get there efficiently. In this situation it becomes more important to have it drained to get rid of the infection. That's how my surgeon explained it to me - (except he used a really really extended metaphor about an island in the sea :)  ) My GP told me I was "incredibly unfortunate" to have an infection in the seroma so I don't think it's very common.

I don't know anything about the Biozorb, I'm afraid but the fluid from a seroma is usually clear yellow - well, if there's not a problem. It looks like pee, basically. If it's a more opaque yellow then could it be pus? Some of that drained out when mine was infected.

Sorry I'm not more help - maybe someone else will be able to reply with a bit more info - there are quite a few technical problems today so hopefully there will be more replies when they are sorted.

Take care

R

Hi  Welcome aboard. One of the fab things about this site is that there's always someone who's been or going through a similar situation to you. I find it very reassuring to know I'm not the only one. 

I did post above but thought it might help to give you an update. I STILL have my seroma - that's 3 years after surgery. It just feels like a hard lump about the size of a satsuma where my boob used to be. I had it drained regularly at first but gave up on that. Now it just sits there. It's never been infected (guess I'm lucky) and doesn't really cause me any trouble. I've also tried compression with an elasticised corset thingy but I gave up on that as it squashed my other boob and also I could hardly breathe. 

I do have mild lymphoedema as I had axilliary clearance on that side. The lymphoedema physio that I go to thinks part of the reason the seroma won't drain is the presence of all that fluid - it's got to go somewhere. Physio does seem to be helping a bit and I think the seroma is a little bit smaller than 12 months ago. 

The good news is that I've had annual ultrasounds which just show a large pocket of fluid - nothing else and nothing wrong. I've just learned to live with it. 

My advice, if you can, is to just live with it for the time being if it's not infected. The more often you have it drained, the more likely it is to get infected. However, you need to get on to the first signs of infection (any or all of red, itchy, swollen, painful) and get some antibiotics into you. My surgeon gave me a prescription for a fairly strong antibiotic to keep at home and take at the first sign. 

I think it's another case of breast cancer, the gift that keeps giving.

Wishing you luck with it. 

Morning,

I researched seroma to death a few months ago and what I came to th conclusion was that one size does not fit all! 

Draining helps some and not others, some get infected and not others, etc etc.

Mine was tennis ball size in my armpit Post ANC. I had it drained 3 times and each time a very red liquid came out. I was concerned as I thought it was supposed to be straw coloured but they reassured me that it was old blood mixed in and needed to come out. I then went for radiotherapy and alien seroma caused a few issues as it changed th shape of my contours so between planning and the first zap the change was too big so they had to rescan and mark up again for rads. I was told not to get drained through rads and all went ahead with additional CTs during to double check.

Now here was where I seem to have been lucky and the rads helped shrink the seroma. All I can feel now ( and I’m now 3 months Post end of rads) is a very small hard lump under my Axillary scar.

Hope you manage to find relief from your seromas soon

H

Hi, did this eventually settle? I was fine post op and had my radiotherapy, 4 weeks after therapy finished I developed a severe breast infection and then a large lump appeared which I am told is a seroma, it was drained 100mls once but not again as could introduce infection, it is really painful though and not sure what to do?