40 days post op, How Long Will a Seroma Last After Tummy Tuck and Liposuction?

Patients undergoing a tummy tuck procedure are often some of the happiest people I see in my clinic in Foster City, California.  There are some risks and potential complications with tummy tucks though and seromas are probably the most common complication.  In fact, I don't even consider a seroma a complication, they are more of a nuisance.  A seroma is a fluid collection that occurs typically once the surgical drains are removed.  Now that the body doesn't have the drains to rely on to rid of the post operative surgical fluid, in about 15% of the cases, fluid can build under the tummy tuck flap.  There are different ways to handle the fluid.  Most commonly, I will have my patients come back to the office about every three days to assess for seromas.  If I do encounter a collection, I will drain it with a syringe as your surgeon is doing with you.  If I have a patient who lives further away from the office, I may change to a different type of drain that requires placement into the fluid collection via a small incision within the tummy tuck scar.  This drain will then allow all fluid to leak out onto some gauze that can be changed as needed, its called a Penrose drain.  With this technique, I have cured everyone who has a longer standing fluid collection.  Typically, a detectable fluid collection will eventually resolve within 3-6 weeks provided the surgeon is aware of the situation and is providing the necessary treatment.  Hope this helps!!

The seroma should resolve although it make take months before all of the fluid is gone.  If there is a seroma after abdominoplasty, it often requires 3 to 6 in-office drainages, and compression for 2 months after the last drainage before resolution.  The addiction of liposuction to the tummy tuck does increase the risk of seroma formation.

thank you for your question. 
The normal procedure to treat the seroma is precisely what your surgeon has done. do not worry, the body reabsorbs all the fluid that has been left. However you can go again to visit your doctor for a new control.
good luck.

Seroma after tummy tuck is not unusual but many surgeons make the solution too complicated.  I have read Dr. Beck’s answer below and he is exactly right, but it remains to me a mystery as to why most surgeons haven’t used a similar approach.  If a seroma is large and persistent after a few needle aspirations here’s what I do.  I place a penrose drain through the scar in the midline and into the seroma cavity.  The drain spills to gauze on the outside and after a week the penrose drain is removed.  I am sure I have done this 20 Times and it always works.  No fooling around with weeks of needle aspiration.  Simple, easy, practically painless, and it will work!

Dzień dobry Ludmila, Thank you for your questions about a seroma after a tummy tuck with liposuction.  It sounds like your seroma was treated appropriately. Some seromas require several aspirations to completely resolve. Some seromas require surgical excision. Since you are now six weeks after your tummy tuck and liposuction surgery, it is highly doubtful that you will develop or have a seroma. The best thing to diagnose a seroma is to have an ultrasound. If you have no signs or symptoms of a seroma, I would leave it alone. If you are very concerned about developing a seroma, I would suggest an abdominal ultrasound. Ultrasounds of the abdomen can easily be done at the radiology department.  I hope that I have answered your questions regarding a seroma after your tummy tuck and liposuction procedures.  If you have any more questions regarding a seroma, tummy tuck, abdominoplasty, or liposuction, please contact my office. Sincerely, Dr. Katzen. 

Thank you for your question.  A seroma can happen after a tummy tuck and can often be avoided with a placement of a drain during the time of surgery.  Daily drainage until the size becomes small enough for the body to continue absorbing the seroma fluid is a very common way to address this.  Sometimes, we add tissue irritants such as antibiotics or alcohol to encourage the tissues that have separated to stick together.I would continue to follow-up with your surgeon who can assess you and determine whether there is any remaining fluid that needs to be drained.