What to Do Before and After Tummy Tuck with Lipo to Prevent Seroma?

As my esteemed colleagues have noted, doing what the doctor tells you avoids most seromas. In this day and age of pain pumps, just because you feel good doesn't mean you can ignore the doctor and start working out or being too active too early.
Certain procedures-- redos, older men, patients requiring extensive surgery- may be more prone to seromas because the magnitude of surgery is more.
There is some anecdotal evidence that quilting sutures may reduce the incidence of seromas.

Hi there-
The very best advice I can give you is very, very simple...
Follow your surgeon's instructions.
That's it- as long as you do what you are asked to do, and you do NOT do those things you are asked to avoid, development of a seroma should be very rare (provided you have also chosen your surgeon well).
This is not to say that even the best surgeons don't have a seroma from time to time- just that they should be rare if you follow your instructions carefully.

Although some of your suggestions may make common sense, they do not generally result in any lowered risk of seroma formation. In fact I would strongly advise against sitting in a sauna. Certainly within the first 48 hours, it is important to give yourself adequate fluids to avoid intravascular depletion which could result in serious complications. Some surgeons believe the use of quilting sutures may lower the risk and eliminate the need for drains, but I have not found this to be necessarily true.

I'm in agreement with most of the expert posters. You can do very little to prevent the seroma complication before surgery.
After surgery the ways to decrease the seroma are drains, compression dressings or binders, limit activity.
Best of luck from Miami

The level of your activity is directly correlated with how much fluid you make.  While we want you to walk and change positions often, waiting until your drains are out and your doctor has given you the green light to exercise is key.  Nothing will bring the risk down to zero.

The risk of seromas can be minimized, but I do not think completely eliminated.  I prefer that patients wear a compression dressing after surgery and limit their exertional activity for several weeks after srugery.
Combining aggressive liposuction with abdominoplasty can increase the risk as well.

Nothing like being the late-comer to a party and agreeing with everything that was said.
Regardless of what I do, regardless of how well I do it - there is always a small rate of seromas associated with every Tummy Tuck. But - that number can be greatly increased by poor care of the drains, excessive activity before your are ready and by not following your surgeon's instructions.
Your suggestions will NOT reduce seromas. Sitting in a sauna after surgery could dehydrate you and injure the raised skin flap of the tummy. Drinking lots of water would ADD not clear excess water. (Remember - MODERATION). A very high fiber diet will NOT pull out swelling either.
You are best to understand and follow your surgeon's advice.
Dr. P. Aldea

With the newer abdominal paniculectomy techniques there is no need for a drain to start with and very few if any seromas. Liposuction is performed on the abdominal paniculous (the skin and fat of the abdomen) to thin it out and make it so that it can be shifted down to the lower abdomen with minimal undermining. The flap of skin and fat is then sutured down to the abdominal muscular fascia. This technique I have used for more than 105 times in the last four years and have only had to put in 4 drains for just a few days. It also gives better looking results, less pain and less risks. Check around to find a surgeon in your area preforming this newer procedure. You'll be glad you did.

There is nothing you can do pre or post op to prevent a seroma other than following your doctors strict instructions and leaving the drain in for 7-10 days until it gets down to less than 25 cc's of output per 24 hours.  Do that and seroma will be rare.