Should I get my seroma drained or will it reabsorb on its own?

You should continue to have the seroma drained until the surgeon is no longer able to remove any fluid.

Small seromas after liposuction do not need to be drained but it really depends on the doctor that did your procedure. The body can deal with small seromas (less than 50cc) and some surgeons even leave the larger once alone. In any case, I recommend that you see your doctor and have it assessed.I hope that helps and best regards, Dr. Sapijaszko.

Seromas are a collection of fluid, usually plasma, lymph and liquefied fat cells that can accumulate after any procedure. They need to be drained, to allow the skin to "stick" back down. This is a simple office visit where a small needle is placed through a numb skin area to aspirate the fluid. A compression dressing/garment is then placed to help prevent a repeat seroma. Most seromas will drain for weeks, be patient and allow your surgeon to drain these as often as needed.Good Luck!

Thank you for your question.  A recurrent seroma should be examined by your plastic surgeon.  To achieve the best result from liposuction, serial aspirations may be necessary.  Contact your surgeon for a follow up appointment and voice your concerns.  Best wishes.

You should discuss the matter and your concerns with your surgeon, but seroma drainage is usually recommended.  While it is true that small seromas may resolve with conservative care, larger fluid collections can have consequences.  One possibility is that the body may build a wall or a "bursa" around the fluid which may be firm and could possibly produce a focal bulge.  Another possibility is that as the fluid is slowly resorbed the skin may not redrape over the muscle in a smooth manner, potentially affecting the contour of the abdominal wall.  Your physician may choose to aspirate the collection with a small syringe repeatedly until it resolves, or may consider a "seroma-cath," a device that connects to a bulb drain to evacuate the fluid and speed resolution of the problem.  Try to remember that seromas are very common, and with proper care, rarely lead to any significant consequences.