Tummy Tuck: Q&A

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why did it take so long to diagnose a seroma and 3 mos. to fix it?

The tummy tuck went beautifully and "seemed" to be healig well.  However,  there was a very large collection of fluid (a seroma) located "above" where the bandages were.  The huge mass was pressing very hard on my diaphram and making breathing VERY difficult.  When the surgeion "looked" at it at the first follow-up, he said that everything looked fine.  I should have insisted that he actually "touch" it to tell just how hard and how large this mass was.  Instead, I went on to suffer for several weeks before he even realized there was a problem.  I have not been able to breathe normally or straighten up normally since the surgery in November. I went to the ER twice with shortness of breath and was admitted overnight once because of an abnormal ekg.  I have the feeling of a large rhino sitting on my diaphram and making breathing "VERY" difficult.  All of this was feeling like a HUGE strain on my heart, not allowing space enough forf my heart to even pump at all....Also, I have sharp pains, like knitting needles going through me....I suffered for months feeling like I was being crushed and suffocated from the inside out.........I recently had a sudden surge of movenment where the seroma seemed to shift a little lower making breathing a "little bit" easier.  It's still difficult to breath, and I still have sharp, stabbing pains as well as the feeling that internal stitches are being pulled.  There is defiantely a large mass which does not belong.  The surgeon intends to be able to get it out soon, waiting for 3 mos. from original incisioin date.  So, in 2 weeks, G-d willing, this whole nightmare can FINALLY be over.........  He is planning on making a small incision, under local anesthesia and pull it out..........

7 Doctor Answers | Asked by 1cougar in las vegas
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Seroma Management After Tummy Tuck

While seroma formation after a tummy tuck is far from rare, your story is a very unusual one. Seromas usually form, although not always, down around or below the belly button. There is where the greatest open space occurs in a tummy tuck, not up high near the rib cage. While seromas often create a feeling of fullness and discomfort, I have not heard of one causing shortness of breath or chest pain. All of that aside, it is also unclear why you would need to wait three months to drain it.... more
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Seroma after tummy tuck

Seroma can definitely happen after tummy tuck. The treatment for seroma is straightforward. If indeed you have a seroma, then you should see your surgeon and he should/can elect to drain it. I am confused about your story and it seems unusual. Rather than try to make sense of this over this venue, I recommend you return to see your surgeon promptly for drainage of abdominal seroma. If you feel that there is lack of responsiveness on the part of the surgeon or you are not quite happy... more
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Seroma following Tummy Tuck?

Your situation sounds highly unusual. Seromas can occur following a tummy tuck, but they are easily diagnosed and usually easily treated by simple aspiration through a needle inserted through the skin. If surgery is required then you may actually have had a hematoma (collection of blood) which has now had time to organize and is not treatable just by aspiration. Or perhaps you just have a seroma but your surgeon plans to remove the lining of the seroma cavity (bursa). Doing this under local... more

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Seroma After Tummy Tuck

Unfortunately not all surgeries go as smoothly as we want, and there is always a chance of a seroma after a Tummy Tuck. Surgeons always look for them at each visit and if present drainage is performed with a small needle. It sounds to me more like you have what is called an organized hematoma and to take out the scar that has formed and is causing the mass requires a bigger incision and surgery under general anesthesia. I am sorry to say your story makes me wonder about your surgeon. Is he... more
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Long standing seroma.

Your story is not the norm for a seroma after a tummy tuck. First, they are very easy to diagnosis by simply pressing on the abdomen. Second, they are usually very easy to treat by either aspirating them or making a small incision and inserting a drain. Third, I have never heard of them causing breathing problems or a strain on the heart. Another opinion seems in order in this complex story. See a board certified plastic surgeon to help shed additional... more
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Seroma problems after tummy tuck

Your version of this story is perplexing and abnormal. A seroma should never become more than a nusiance problem as it is easy to diagnose and treat in most all circumstances. How often were you seeing the doctor? If it had been aspirated earlier, you might not need surgery now. Is he planning to remove the entire lining of the cavity or just drain the fluid? If draining is the answer, why wait at all, do it tomorrow.
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Reason for delayed Diagnosis of a Seroma

I am truly sorry for your predicament and cannot justify nor explain why t took o long to diagnose and treat yor Seroma. A Seroma is very easy to recognize and a well-trained Plastc surgeon should be Abe to diagnose it in seconds; when pushed on and released there is a lava amp like outgoing wave that goes across the Seroma area. A small syringe tap and aspiatn can both diagnose and help empty the sermons. I therefore suspect that either there s more than meets the eye here or... more
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These answers are for educational purposes and should not be relied upon as a substitute for medical advice you may receive from your physician. If you have a medical emergency, please call 911. These answers do not constitute or initiate a patient/doctor relationship.

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