I Got a Seroma After Flying at 18 Days Post Op. Do You Think This Was Due to the Pressure?

I got a seroma after flying at 18 days post op. Do you think this was due to the pressure changes during the flight? I had had my drain removed at 14 days post-op. Upon landing, I felt an increased sense of fullness and tightness in my pubic area and umbilical area. I flew back home the next day. The doctor aspirated the area and removed 135ccs. I am scheduled for another aspiration tomorrow. Is it safe to fly while I have this seroma, or should it be avoided?

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4 Doctor Answers | Asked by linniek in Tipton, IN

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Tummy Tuck

The seroma was also likely due to sitting in the cramped position for so long. Use a compression garment, and follow your doctors advice. This is another reason to have a Board Certified Plastic Surgeon from your area to manage your care.

Seroma is not from flying; seroma is from undrained fluid being produced by activity and incomplete healing.

Drain removal at 14 days is a very "standard" length of time, but presumably your drain was taken out only after the drainage had tapered to less than 25cc or so per 24 hours, not just removed after a certain length of time. If your skin flaps had securely healed to the underlying abdominal wall layers, then the drain removal would have left nothing but a thin tract for any fluid to accumulate in. So, unless the drain had clogged while serum was still being produced (let's say... more

Seroma with abdominoplasty

I don't believe a change in pressure would cause a seroma. It could have been from a lot of moving around or just because your body was still making a lot of fluid. Sometimes, the drains get clotted and seem like the output is low while your body is still making a considerable amount of fluid. With the amount you had, you will probably need a few aspirations. I would also continue with good compression, a low salt diet and limited activity. Good luck. more

Tummy Tuck and Seroma

The pressure changes during the flight are not likely the main cause of your seroma. You developed the seroma 4 days after the drain was removed, a complication that can happen even with the best surgery, best patient, and best surgeon. Generally, traveling by plane requires a fair amount of mobility and activity- dealing with luggage, stretching, and alot of standing and sitting- more so than you would be doing at home, which could disrupt healing areas from your surgery. I usually do not... more