I had a Tummy Tuck done 4 weeks ago. I feel that I still have accumulated liquid in my lower abdomen. How do I get it out?
Answer: Seroma after tummy tuck Fluid accumulation after a tummy tuck can be frustrating for both patient and surgeon. Most surgeons will draw off the fluid with a needle in the hope that the amount of fluid gradually goes away. If a seroma is still present after a few aspirations and the volume is more than around 50 cc’s, I will place a special kind of drain in the cavity which solves the problem easily and predictably. It is called a penrose drain and is inserted through the incision under local anesthesia. This is a different kind of drain than the one you had after surgery. It allows to fluid to drain to the outside and the cavity to gradually close. I usually remove the drain in a week. This technique takes advantage of the well known principle of “dependent drainage”. This will solve the problem once and for all. The truly surprising thing is that most plastic surgeons aren’t familiar with this tried and true method even though it has been around for a long time. Good luck!
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CONTACT NOW Answer: Seroma after tummy tuck Fluid accumulation after a tummy tuck can be frustrating for both patient and surgeon. Most surgeons will draw off the fluid with a needle in the hope that the amount of fluid gradually goes away. If a seroma is still present after a few aspirations and the volume is more than around 50 cc’s, I will place a special kind of drain in the cavity which solves the problem easily and predictably. It is called a penrose drain and is inserted through the incision under local anesthesia. This is a different kind of drain than the one you had after surgery. It allows to fluid to drain to the outside and the cavity to gradually close. I usually remove the drain in a week. This technique takes advantage of the well known principle of “dependent drainage”. This will solve the problem once and for all. The truly surprising thing is that most plastic surgeons aren’t familiar with this tried and true method even though it has been around for a long time. Good luck!
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CONTACT NOW November 17, 2013
Answer: How Do I Get Rid Of A Seroma In My Lower Abdomen 4 Weeks Post Op? A seroma is a collection of injury fluid seen in many parts of the body after almost any surgery. Unfortunately, it is quite common in the lower abdomen after a tummy tuck. Usually, this is due to inadequate lymphatic drainage. Seromas after a tummy tuck fall into 3 major categories. The first and most benign is a seroma, when drained by your surgeon, never reoccurs. The second type of seroma recurs multiple times after drainage, and may require installation of a sclerosing agent. The third type of seroma is a chronic situation requiring re-exploration of the abdomen and removal of the seroma capsule. I recommend you call your plastic surgeon as soon as possible because the longer the seroma remains undrained, the greater chance you have of forming a pocket which needs surgical excision.
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CONTACT NOW November 17, 2013
Answer: How Do I Get Rid Of A Seroma In My Lower Abdomen 4 Weeks Post Op? A seroma is a collection of injury fluid seen in many parts of the body after almost any surgery. Unfortunately, it is quite common in the lower abdomen after a tummy tuck. Usually, this is due to inadequate lymphatic drainage. Seromas after a tummy tuck fall into 3 major categories. The first and most benign is a seroma, when drained by your surgeon, never reoccurs. The second type of seroma recurs multiple times after drainage, and may require installation of a sclerosing agent. The third type of seroma is a chronic situation requiring re-exploration of the abdomen and removal of the seroma capsule. I recommend you call your plastic surgeon as soon as possible because the longer the seroma remains undrained, the greater chance you have of forming a pocket which needs surgical excision.
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June 26, 2016
Answer: Fluid accumulation after Tummy Tuck Have your plastic surgeon aspirate the collected fluid to avoid any other complications. This can easily be done in the office using a needle and syringe. It is normal to develop some fluid build-up after this type of invasive surgery.
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CONTACT NOW June 26, 2016
Answer: Fluid accumulation after Tummy Tuck Have your plastic surgeon aspirate the collected fluid to avoid any other complications. This can easily be done in the office using a needle and syringe. It is normal to develop some fluid build-up after this type of invasive surgery.
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June 2, 2018
Answer: Seroms after Tummy Tuck Thank you for your post. Seromas can be painful and cause a cosmetic deformity, as well as sometimes leak. The whole point of drains is to keep a seroma from happening in the first place. If a drainless procedure was performed, and you had a seroma, or you had drains that were pulled and you subsequently had a seroma, then you should be drained, otherwise a capsule builds around the fluid making it permanent. If a capsule builds around the seroma (pseudo bursa or encapsulated seroma) then the only way to remove the seroma is to surgically open the areas and excise the capsule, and close over drains to prevent another seroma from happening. If the seroma is encapsulated and is tight and painful, then it can be confused with just swelling or fat. An ultrasound is useful in distinguishing these and identifying the extent of the seroma. If the seroma is not yet encapsulated, then it is usually loose and has a 'fluid wave' or water bed type feel. Occasionally, a seroma can also become infected, especially if a permanent braided suture was used. This will have a hot, red appearance, and will eventually open up. I have never seen an infection from sterile aspiration of fluid.Best wishes,Pablo Prichard, MD
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June 2, 2018
Answer: Seroms after Tummy Tuck Thank you for your post. Seromas can be painful and cause a cosmetic deformity, as well as sometimes leak. The whole point of drains is to keep a seroma from happening in the first place. If a drainless procedure was performed, and you had a seroma, or you had drains that were pulled and you subsequently had a seroma, then you should be drained, otherwise a capsule builds around the fluid making it permanent. If a capsule builds around the seroma (pseudo bursa or encapsulated seroma) then the only way to remove the seroma is to surgically open the areas and excise the capsule, and close over drains to prevent another seroma from happening. If the seroma is encapsulated and is tight and painful, then it can be confused with just swelling or fat. An ultrasound is useful in distinguishing these and identifying the extent of the seroma. If the seroma is not yet encapsulated, then it is usually loose and has a 'fluid wave' or water bed type feel. Occasionally, a seroma can also become infected, especially if a permanent braided suture was used. This will have a hot, red appearance, and will eventually open up. I have never seen an infection from sterile aspiration of fluid.Best wishes,Pablo Prichard, MD
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June 29, 2009
Answer: Seroma You need to return to your plastic surgeon. If there is a significant amount of fluid it will have to aspirated. This may have to be done more than once so you should be ready to return several times. If the fluid just keeps accumulating, a drain may have to be put in.
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June 29, 2009
Answer: Seroma You need to return to your plastic surgeon. If there is a significant amount of fluid it will have to aspirated. This may have to be done more than once so you should be ready to return several times. If the fluid just keeps accumulating, a drain may have to be put in.
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