4 Month Old Seroma, Post Mastectomy-still Draining Through Incision, Have any Doctors Dealt WIth This Before?

Thank you for your question!  I am sorry to hear of your issues with your reconstruction.  Radiation therapy certainly has an increased rate of complications in terms of infections and wound healing issues.  Given the removal of your tissue expander, you likely either developed a chroming wound issue and/or infection which prompted explantation.  Fluid collections are not an uncommon issue in cases such as yours and are sometimes very troublesome.  You may require surgical intervention to excise the seroma capsule and try and promote adherence of your overlying tissue back down to your chest wall, along with drains.  Hopefully this will resolve the problem.  I typically do not consider any definitive breast reconstruction until approximately 6 months post- radiation completion.  You will likely need a flap, given your previous history of radiation to your chest, which should significantly ameliorate the issues caused by the radiation.  Of which, a DIEP flap is an excellent option!  First - your wound healing issue, and or infection, must be controlled first.  Hope that this helps and best wishes!

After the skin has radiation, healing is  frustrating because the skin is just not as strong as it was before.  Discuss this with your surgeon and explore your other options.  Perhaps surgery to remove scar tissue is your best option.

This has been a long and complicated process for you. The fluid that is leaking may be a seroma or lymphatic fluid. Radiation can cause significant scarring of the normal pathways your body would reabsorb the fluid. The most common way to deal with this issue is by using your own tissue (DIEP, Latissimus, autologous flap tissue) to help create new pathways and rejuvenate the radiated tissue. Good Luck!