How many times does a seroma need to be drained before it goes away?

Seromas after any surgical procedure can be a vexing problem for both the patient and the surgeon. Fortunately, most will resolve over time with repeated aspiration. You are still relatively early postop and most likely your problem will resolve without operative intervention. Be patient and follow your surgeons instructions.

Persistant seromas may require an indwelling drain to allow the tissue to heal together and prevent further fluid collection.  The seroma may also represent damage to the salivary glands.  I would have the fluid tested for saliva as this requires a different treatment protocol.  Best of luck.

the key to having a seroma resolve is by aspirating it every other day to decompress the cavity and allow the cavity to obliterate. My only concern is that the cheek fluid collection could also represent a leak of salivary fluid. It should be checked for amylase to make sure that you do not have a salivary gland injury. Otherwise I think frequent aspiration is the key to getting the seroma to resolve in conjunction with a good compression garment. Hope this helps. Good luck.