ANYTHING to help minimize seromas?!?

My PS said I just have to keep being drianed and wait it out.... but I'm so miserable that I'll try almost anything.  Does anyone know of anything that will help minimize the fluid buildup?  Mild compression garments don't seem to help and neither do heating pads or cold packs... I have been cutting back on fluid intake but I'm afraid of become dehydrated because I struggle with fluid intake anyway (and taking an OTC diurectic seems kind of dangerous since I'm not retaining water anywhere except below SOME of the incisions).

I just don't know how I am going to keepo trying to juggle two jobs and driving 45-60 minutes each way twice a week to get drained... but by the 3rd day after being drained, I am miserable and in pain again. 

Lora

Lora,

I'm so sorry to hear you're having trouble. I Googled "seroma" and really couldn't find any useful advice for you. I hope someone medically proficient can respond to your post.  I'm praying for your recovery, sweetheart.

Joyce

Hi Lora--

In my experience (having had seromas after breast cancer/lymph node surgeries and also having worked with a busy general surgeon), they take time. Basically, when your body is "hurt," it sends fluid to those spots. Twist your ankle? Body sends fluid & it swells. Stomach ache? Body sends fluid & you get diarrhea...

We used to tell our patients to minimize exercise in the affected area. If lymph nodes have been disturbed during surgery, sometimes the pathways that lymph fluid (part of your blood/immune system) flows through become "interrupted" after surgery. This can cause the fluid to pool because it can't travel the injured pathways like it used to. I don't think that's what you have going on here.

Using heat or cold packs are typically just a comfort measure. I have seen cases (again, only with disruption of lymph nodes) where using heat can actually increase the swelling by increasing blood/lymph flow to the area & the lymph fluid got "trapped" in the blocked pathways.

Compression garments will also not decrease the fluid from seromas, although you may get some pain relief from the added support.

Do NOT take diuretics, especially any OTC remedies. If your doc felt it would have been beneficial, s/he would have prescribed them. Diuretics will not help with this issue, and you could cause harm to yourself.

Do NOT restrict your fluid intake either! The seroma isn't caused by this. You are right to be concerned about dehydration, especially since this is already a struggle for you.

Resolution of seromas DOES take time, and this is annoying as hell !  After surgery, your body will begin to resorb the fluid. You will find that there will be less & less fluid in that seroma the further out from surgery that you are.

So, in a nutshell, you might try cutting back on your activity level temporarily.  For instance, if the issue is at your waistline I would avoid bending or straining at the waist etc. You can still do slow, gentle movements but I would avoid working out etc right now.

Hope this helped a bit. Hang in there!

Michele

You need to increase your protein, because the fluid that accumulates in a seroma is full of protein. You need protein to heal, so add some extra.
I had a seroma after my RNY, and again after my TT/ hernia repair. The one after my RNY never healed. It leaked until I had the TT. Sorry to tell you that. But the one after the TT was drained a few times and eventually stopped forming.
Draining it is the best thing, and do wear compression/

Thanks to all for the suggestions and support.  I did increase my protein a bit before I had the surgery, but I can add anotehr protein shake if it will help get rid of this fluid!

Lora