Will my large seroma go away? I'm 9 days post mommy makeover.

The fluid and general area can feel firm or hard as your body builds a scar capsule around it.  You might speed the recovery process with a tight compression garment or spanx.  This can be frustrating after a big surgery like this and it may get firmer before it gets better.  Massage of the area sometimes helps the squeeze out that fluid and break down scar.  Eventually your body will smooth it out as the scar inside softens over time.  Good luck, Dr. Aitken

Dear imchanellove,seromas do occur often after a tummy tuck. Smaller seroma can resolve by itselves but larger ones require a drainage. Based on your description, 400cc is a big volume and it is hard to expect that it will resolve without a drainage. However, your surgeon has a full insight in your preoperative and postoperative findings and you should follow his recommendationsDaniel Barrett, MD, MHA, MS 
Certified, American Board of Plastic Surgery 
Member, Am. Society of Plastic Surgery 

Seromas are common problems after tummy tuck surgeries,  400cc seroma is quite a bit of fluid and from my knowledge a lot of fluid simply to resolve on its own.    When I encounter these problems I tell the patient to wear compression and see them every few days to get on top of the seroma and let things stick down.  As always, I encourage you to revisit your surgeon as he/she knows exactly what was done and if there were retention sutures placed which could decrease the incidence of seromas.  

Seromas should be closely followed by your surgeon.  If the fluid has been absorbed by the tissues around it, it cannot be drained.  If it is in a pocket, it is possible to drain it.  Wearing compression may help it to heal.  Follow the advice of your surgeon and keep all follow up appointments.

400cc is a large seroma and it is unlikely that the fluid would not reacculmulate somewhat.  Any fluid that comes back will do one of two things:  it can leak into the surrounding tissues (like a sponge can take on fluid) and eventually be reabsorbed (swelling gone) or a wall can form around it and it remains a fluid pocket.  Use compression on the abdomen, limit activities and return to your surgeon weekly to see if there is a fluid pocket to aspirate.  If not, swelling should resolve on its own over a few months.
Good luck.
Dr. Z

Hi, 
I agree with the other surgeons - 400cc is a big seroma and it is good that your doctor was able to drain it. You may have re-accumulated a smaller amount of fluid that is more difficult to drain and can potentially resolve on its own. A compression binder or spanx kind of garment can help prevent more fluid from building up. 
Also, avoiding major activity, especially movements that involve a lot of twisting and bending, will help keep the swelling and fluid at bay. Recently, I had a patient come in with a seroma who told me she had been using a leaf blower to clean all the leaves off her driveway! After draining the seroma, I asked her to leave the yard work to someone else for the next few weeks. You get the point - take it easy and let your body heal.
If you do notice the seroma growing, it may become easier to drain by your surgeon. Keep an eye on the area and follow up with your surgeon closely.
Take care,
Dr. C-P