Seromas?

 I've read about quite a few people developing seromas post op and them lasting quite long in the recovery process....I've also looked at pics and it seems pretty bad ...they can get infected and seems like that would make the scar wider....and that it would also cause pain and keep you from getting back to normal life and activities.

I'm curious how common of a complication is this? Does anyone know the statistics? Is there any way to prevent them? Does it have anything to do with how many procedures you do at once? Or with overusing the area post-op too quickly?

Please share your stories about if you didn't get one or if you did get one......how long before they healed all the way. Thanks!

 I have a small marble size one on my arm. I probably noticed it around week 4. Because its small I am not too concerned about it.  I am 8 weeks now and it hasn't changed at all. I would also like to hear others experiences whether they had one or not. I have gone thru past posts but usually they only address when they are first noticed. I would like to hear how long it took to reasorb. Or did they get it aspirated?  

Jennifer

 I have a seroma in my leg. It's between a golf ball and baseball.  It's hard and not painful unless I squeeze it. It's located right above my knee, more on the underside. My incision looks fine for now. Part of the seroma is along the incision line.  I got it during week five.  I noticed it during a week of three 5k walks.  I don't know if the exercise had anything to do with it. I was just getting back to exercise.

My plastic surgeon said to leave it alone and that it would reabsorb on its own. I have read that being close to a joint, it's better to let it absorb because of risk of infection.  I saw my Bariatric surgeon in February and he confirmed that it is a seroma.  He too said to leave it alone because of risk of infection.  He said that since its on the incision line, it could cause it to unzip the entire incision line.  

Im over four months out and it hasn't changed.  I walk daily and nothing changes it. If I take a few dys off from walking, no change either.

Hope that helps!

I am 5 months out and had a 2 seromas in one arm and 1 in the other. My surgeon did not want to drain them because they almost always come back and draining can cause infection,they are on the incision line as well and he wanted the body to absorb them. They do not hurt but other than the one that did absorb these suckers are stubborn

I'm going in for a thighplasty and a breast lift in October and at that time I will be getting a slight revision to my circumferential body lift and my arms so my surgeon said that unless I wanted an arm revision in his office that he would prefer me wait until I am under anestesia to tackle that.

I did have drains in my arms for 10 days so I'm not sure why they developed.

 I had one seroma under my arm after my extended brachioplasty.  It was on my incision as well.  It wasn't hard... just a build up of fluid. I think it was a seroma, but honestly never asked my doctor.  He just looked at it and recommended that we try to drain it.  My doctor drained it 3 times in a 2 week span and took out a total of about 300 cc's in those 3 drainings. it completely went away after the 3rd.  It wasn't painful and the draining process wasn't bad at all.  I honestly didn't feel it because I was still numb in that area.