1 week post-op, I have a spongy fluid on my forehead. Is this normal, or a direct result of too much waking and/or heat? (Photo)

Question

I had mohls surgery on my forhead one week ago. 4 days after the surgery I went walking around the zoo for 3 hours in the heat and came home with some fluid around the incision and bruising. Then yesterday I went walking in the heat again for over an hour since PS said it looked fine and it was o.k. to walk. It now looks like there is a little more spongy fluid around the incision. Is the spongy fluid normal or a direct result of too much waking and/or heat? Am I doing more harm?

Anita Sethna, MD · Answer

It is difficult to tell how much of the area may be affected by normal swelling or whether or not there is actual fluid that requires draining. It is normal to have a mild to even moderate amount of swelling in the forehead after this type of closure and may take about a week to resolve. If you push gently on the swollen area, and can easily feel the bone of your forehead underneath, it is more likely just swelling. In some cases, however, especially in the forehead where the blood supply is quite good, a seroma or hematoma (clear fluid or blood respectively) can form under the incision. If the amount of fluid is small, pea-sized or less, it is unlikely to have any consequence on your final result, and your body will metabolize it. If you believe it may be more than that, or is accumulating over time, the best option is to be re-evaluated.

1 week post-op, I have a spongy fluid on my forehead. Is this normal, or a direct result of too much waking and/or heat? (Photo)

Answers (1)

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1 week post-op, I have a spongy fluid on my forehead. Is this normal, or a direct result of too much waking and/or heat? (Photo)

Answers (1)

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