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TT Seromas After Out Of Country Surgery, Who Will Help Me?

I had tummy tuck, arm lift, and lipo out of the country on 8/9. Now I have developed what I think is a seroma under my BB to my incision. I am very skeptical about finding a PS in Houston willing to see me because sx out of country. Great recovery. No pain, incisions healing.  No fever. Taking Cipro, VitC, irom, VitB complex. Wearing compression garment. Walk straight. No pain in seroma. My drain removed 6days post op so i could fly back. Odds it will reabsorb? Will Houston drs even look at it?

Doctor Answers 7

Seromas After Out of Country Surgery #tummytuck #plasticsurgery

August 21st, 2013
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You are probably correct in that you will not likely find a surgeon that will take care of another surgeon's work. This situation highlights the difficulty of out of country surgery. It is impossible for me to give you accurate advice without seeing the seroma. Removing a drain sooner than it should be can lead to seroma. It may or may not resorb completely. If it does not bother you then you may not need to do anything. Seromas can become infected but usually they do not. It may resorb but leave you with a contour irregularity in that area. Best of luck.

Richard J. Brown, MD


Scottsdale Plastic Surgeon
4.9 out of 5 stars 37 reviews

TT Seromas After Out Of Country Surgery, Who Will Help Me?

August 20th, 2013
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You seem to be asking a lot if you haven't even tried to call local surgeons. If none will see you, try your primary doc, who can refer you to an interventional radiologist to either aspirate the fluid, or place a drain. It may be pricey. 

All the best. 

Jourdan Gottlieb, MD

Any RN or general surgeon you don need any spetialist to do it

August 20th, 2013
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seroma is  very often  to happen  and  it is  easeay to  remove  any RN  or  any general surgeon might be realized it is  quite simple to solve

Ramon Navarro, MD

Ramon Navarro, MD
Mexico Plastic Surgeon

Providing care to a patient who had surgery in another country

August 20th, 2013
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You need to have this seroma aspirated.  If it is not properly cared for you will develop a seroma pocket  and possibly a permanent bulge in this area.  Call local plastic surgeons and see if anyone is willing to see you under these circumstances.  I am called many times in this same situation and at a minimum I require a copy of the operative report from the surgeon and we charge for a standard office visit. Specific consent forms are also signed acknowledging that I did not perform the surgery and am providing care as a courtesy to another plastic surgeon and do not  take any responsibility for the surgical outcome.  

Jeffrey Zwiren, MD

Jeffrey Zwiren, MD
Atlanta Plastic Surgeon
4.5 out of 5 stars 16 reviews

Unlikely to Find Houston Surgeon

August 19th, 2013
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I agree with Dr. Whitt.  You spend less money abroad for the surgery but if there is a complication then you will have the additional financial responsibility of the U.S. surgeon that might take on your care.  Overall, you don't really save.

Earl Stephenson, Jr., MD, DDS, FACS

Complication After Medical Tourism

August 19th, 2013
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You demonstrate the number one problem with medical tourism.  Even though your surgery was less expensive in another country, who will deal the post-op problems and complications?  You may or may not be able to find someone in Houston willing to take this on.

John Whitt, MD (retired)

John Whitt, MD (retired)
Louisville Plastic Surgeon
5.0 out of 5 stars 2 reviews

You get what you pay for.

August 19th, 2013
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When you  have surgery here, you may pay more, but the doctor will take care of you until y ou have healed satisfactorily - you now point out why surgery abroad is an issue --- now you will have to pay to be fixed, when your American surgeon would have taken care of you for free.

William B. Rosenblatt, MD

William B. Rosenblatt, MD
New York Plastic Surgeon
4.1 out of 5 stars 11 reviews

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.