Almost 10 weeks post tummy tuck, my drains fell out 5 days after leaving me with fluid build up. What do I do?

Seroma after a tummy tuck is not uncommon and there are many ways to deal with it.  Here’s what I do and it always works.  Have the surgeon insert a penrose drain through the scar just above the pubis.  Takes five minutes and is done under local anesthesia.  The drain will spill to the outside while the seroma cavity rapidly closes up.  The drain is removed after one week.  If I have a seroma that persists after a few needle aspirations I just put the drain in.  It’s simple and has always worked.  no need to fool around, I have probably done this twenty times and it always works,  remember, it’s a penrose drain.  So simple, I realize that not many surgeons do this and I have no idea why no body else has figured it out. Shouldn’t be such a mystery, Good luck!

Your gastric bypass surgery really doesn't have much to do with why you are building up fluid.  When serial aspirations are not working, generally it is best to have a drain placed to have a continuous drainage of the area to allow the two surfaces (abdominal skin and abdominal muscles/fascia) to heal.If this does not heal in time, although rare, more drastic measures would have to be taken to close up the space.I would continue on with your plastic surgeons recommendations.

Thank you for the question. It is difficult to answer your question without examining you. Sometimes seromas can occur and if you have undergone multiple aspirations you may need an interventional radiologist to place a drain. Also to culture the fluid to make sure no infection is present. It is best to discuss with your board certified plastic surgeon. Good luck.

Dear sandymaz,it is hard to tell for sure without an examination but generally speaking, larger seroma sometimes should be evacuated surgically in order to achieve the best results. I would suggest you to consult a board-certified plastic surgeon. Only after a thorough examination you will get more information and recommendations.Daniel Barrett, MD
Certified, American Board of Plastic Surgery
Member, American Society of Plastic Surgery
Member, American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery

I think you need to see your plastic surgeon. There's a difference between being swollen and having a seroma. Swelling will get better with time, but seromas are more serious and in late cases where they don;t fully resolved some patients may need to go back to surgery. Have an examination to discuss the next step with your plastic surgeon. Good luck. Dr. ALDO 

Fluid build up is not unheard of after tummy tuck surgery.
The fluid should be drained on a weekly basis and you should continue to wear
your compression garment to help with swelling. It is important to continually
be in contact with your plastic surgeon to monitor your drainage. We recommend
scheduling a follow up appointment with your surgeon to discuss your concerns.

Patients who have had massive weight loss are at higher risk for developing fluid collections after abdominoplasty or belt lipectomies, and usually require their drains to be in for longer than your average patient, so five days seems like a fairly short time and unfortunately it's not surprising that you have developed fluid.
It may just be abetter plan at this point to replace the drains and  leave them in place until the fluid output is low enough that they can be safely removed. This will limit the number of times a have to be drained which always poses a very small risk of infection every time a needle is introduced and will also lower the chances of developing a thicker capsule requiring re-exploration.

Seromas are difficult problems to address.   if it is s lot of fluid and continuing to collect, you may be best off going back to surgery to have the cavity washed out and drains reinserted.  You need to be more careful with your drains as the early loss of the drains caused the problem. Interventional radiologists can also place drains for you,

You need to have it drained with a drain placed but 10 weeks out you most likely have a pseudo capsule that has formed. That means it may not totally close off with just a drain. It is possible that you will need to have part of that lower tummy flap re elevated and excise that cavity with a new drain placed so the two layers can scar properly. It is hard to say without seeing you which is best but those are your options. Or do nothing. 

Seromas are very common occurrence on gastic bypass patients because of low blood albumin and protein levels. On these surgeries I've left drains in for as long as 6 weeks on exceptional cases. You may need to have one placed in. Check with your surgeon.