Who to ask to remove seroma after tummy tuck? (Photo)

It is not as common as it used to be but patients can still get seromas after a tummy tuck surgery.
Obviously the body heals with swelling and inflammation and it will usually absorb the excess fluid but when it cannot or there is no drain to remove it, then you can get a seroma. These can usually be removed with aspiration by a plastic surgeon or sometimes even drained through a small reopening of your tummy tuck incision. Additionally, sometimes a radiologist can aspirate them using ultrasound to pinpoint their exact location.
In general, the sooner you get rid of it the more chance of success. If you have repeated aspirations, then usually a drain is placed through the skin is used. Rarely, a seroma will lead to a fluid filled bursa which usually needs to be surgically removed.  
I would recommend that you see a board-certified plastic surgeon in your area that is a member of both ASPS & ASAPS and performs a lot of tummy tucks or of course your surgeon.
I hope my answer helps and if it does, please take a moment to up vote this answer on the “respond” button on the top right.  Have a great day.

Thank you for your question and photos.  I am sorry to hear about your complication.  Your operating surgeon should be able to help you, as seromas do happen after abdominoplasties about 10-20% of the time.  Typically, they will resolve with serial needle drainage or placement of a drain.  In some cases, an irritant (sclerosant) can be placed through the drain to scar down the pocket.   The last resort would be a surgical removal of the seroma lining (pseudobursa).  I would discuss with your surgeon about fixing this problem.  Good luck. 

Thank you for your question.  There are plastic surgeons that could help you with the treatment of a recurrent seroma.  There are several options including sclerosing agents and possible need for surgery.  A board certified plastic surgeon can evaluate you, test the fluid, perhaps order a CT scan and then make a recommendation for the next step in treatment.  Good luck!
S. A. Earle, MD, FACS

I know this is frustrating for you, but I would not go looking for a surgical fix right now.  All seroma's eventually go away.  It is exceedingly rare for them to require surgical intervention.  That said, I have had one or two that were tough to get rid of as well.  There is literature to support injections of various sclerosis agents, but having experienced that too, I wouldn't do it again.  The worst case scenario is probably just placement of a drain for a week or so, but for now I would try to ignore it as much as possible with the knowledge that it really will dissipate with time - more than likely.Good Luck!

Dear Admofo,every board-certified plastic surgeon should be able to resolve seroma as well as other complications. If your plastic surgeon don't know what to do, I would suggest you to consult another board-certified plastic surgeon. Daniel Barrett, MD
Certified, American Board of Plastic Surgery
Member, American Society of Plastic Surgery
Member, American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery

You should contact your surgeon regarding this. He/.She is responsible for post-operative care. 

Your plastic surgeon not only does your surgery but is responsible for handling complications that arise or referring you for the right help.  Be sure to ask him/her for help again.  If it has not gone away, it may require re-operation, a drain insertion, or removal of the capsule that has formed.  Return to your surgeon for advice.  They can replace a drain, take you back to surgery, or consult with interventional radiology.

do occur and most do resolve with serial aspirations.  Persisting ones require intervention and this can start with placement of a drain and sclerosing or simply going back to the OR and elevating the entire flap again to remove the pseudobursa that has developed and to place sequential sutures to prevent it from recurring.  Any plastic surgeon should be able to do this for you.

Seromas that persist after abdominal wall surgery may lead to a fluid-filled lined cavity called a bursa. Basically this is a capsule lining that forms around the space that has been filling with fluid, in the plane between the muscle fascia and the fat. Before a bursa forms, a recurrent seroma may be able to be drained by placement of a new drain and sometimes a chemical agent will be injected into the drain to "sclerose" or scar down the space. If these fail, reexploring your wound bed and seeing if there is a serosal bursa lining there and removing it may be required. Most plastic surgeons who do tummy tucks will understand this anatomically and physiologically and will know how to try to treat it.

Seroma aspiration is an easy process that is done in the office in under 5 min.  It involves placing some numbing medication in the skin and then placing a needle into the fluid collection and removing it.  Doing so is important to prevent scar tissue formation.  More than one seroma aspiration may be needed prior to the skin sticking back down.  Wearing compression will be key to accomplishing this as well.Any board certified plastic surgeon should be able to perform this for you. All the best,Dr. Remus Repta