Seroma

I would very much appreciate hearing about experiences with Seroma/fluid build up around the port area following surgery. I had Lap Band surgery on March 10 and after about 10 days developed a large bulge under the port incision, which I learned was Seroma/fluid build up. My surgeon drained the area two days ago, but cautioned that the fluid will likely come back and this could occur 3-4 times. Has anyone else had this problem? Did the fluid come back and, if so, how long before it came back and how many times did it come back? Thanks in advance for any information you provide from your experience.

I also had a seroma around my port area. It was the size of a large grapefruit. I thought an alien would pop out of it one day..lol. I had it drained 3 times over a 7 or 8 week time period. The first time they took 277ccs, second 75ccs and the third only 18ccs. So, it does get smaller over time. And now, it is totally gone. It is just a pain to have to go to the doctor's office and get it drained. I was worried at first, but it does go away.

please describe these seroma's ya'll are talking about. i'm 6month post op and have just recently over the past week or so noticed a bulge just right of my belly button...about the size of a grapefruit. especially when i flex my muscles it will bulge out. i can actually push on it and feel it moving around, almost like its a pocket of fluid...i can feel and hear it squishing when i move it....and its just the weirdest thing ever! also, when working out or cleaning around the house...basically, ANYTIME i bend over at the waist, i can feel it. and, when i lay down flat is when i notice the bulge to the right side more clearly. it is strange and i put in a call to my dr.s office yesterday but the nurse has yet to call me back.

at 6mo post op...IF this is a seroma...HOW will they be able to drain it??? will they have to make some type of incision for drainage? that sounds a bit painful. PLEASE DESCRIBE IN DETAIL this seroma...and please let me know how many months post op ya'll were.

i'm wondering if perhaps i never noticed it before bc i was too heavy and the belly fat covered it up...now as i'm slimming and finally down into ONE-derland...as of today...woohooo!!!....but i'm wondering if i'm noticing it now bc my belly is getting smaller and flatter....who knows.

thanks. xoxo, christie

My doctor drained mine with a needle. It was not painful at all. I started seeing my seroma I guess about 4-5 weeks out from surgery.

Call your doctor to get it checked out.

how did the Dr diagnose it? I just went for my 1st fill (12 weeks post op) and after feeling around the port site the Dr. felt a "buldge". I thought that was my port. But he said no. Anyway, he thinks it is a hernia and I'm scheduled for a CT scan. Maybe it is a seroma? Should I suggest it to him?

Christie:

You should go see your doctor. It sounds like it could possibly be a hernia.

Hope you heal quickly whatever it ends up being.

Take care.

Sue

i put in a call to the nurse w/no returned call last week. i was busy doing Relay For Life all day friday and then sleeping today since it was an overnight event. i will put in a call and actually SCHEDULE an appointment when i call in this monday morning.....

IF it is a hernia...and it is THIS big....what would the options be??? how are hernia's treated??? and why wouldn't they have found it during surgery 6months ago?

either way, i'm definitely going to the dr and will keep ya'll updated on the diagnosis. thank you all so much for all the suggestions and advise.

xoxo, christie

ps - should i be worried? its starting to get bigger...and more sore around the area of the buldge...my husband thinks its the weirdest thing he's ever seen as when i lay flat on my back you can see it....until i tighten my muscles and then it literally protrudes from my body around the rightside of my belly button....like an alien inside of me! so should i be worried? whats the worst it could be? and whats the worst possible treatment???

i have an incisional abdominal hernia....a huge one....and will be having surgery friday morning to have it taken care of....will be down from physical activity starting immediately and up until 4-6wks post op.
went to the dr. monday morning and then was sent directly to a surgeon to schedule the surgery.....so, no seroma's...just my ob/gyn jacked me up in november when she tied my tubes. really sucks, not looking forward to surgery. kinda scared, but with God, i know i will get through this.

thanks for all your advise and concerns~!
glad i didn't put it off any longer.

xoxo, christie

Christie:

I'm glad you went to doctor. Good wishes to you for an uneventful surgery and quick recovery.

Take care.

Sue

How did they diagnose the hernia??? I'm going crazy trying toget an answer to this question....I went for a CT Scan on Monday because the Dr thinks I might have a flipped port and a hernia...But I think the scan was mainly for port location. What about the hernia...Was there an x-ray or test to determine what it was??? What does the surgery intail??? Mine seems much smaller than what you describe...Like a golf ball rather than a grapefruit.

the dr diagnosed it on a physical examination only, no scans or xrays were necessary since the hernia was pushing out against the outer layer of my skin. dr. did say that it would've been harder to diagnose had i not lost so much weight, it was easier to tell. you could literally SEE and HEAR my bowels! gross.

i'm now at home and medicating, relaxing, and recovering....and found out the hernia was caused by an incisional slip up from last surgeon, my ob/gyn when she tied my tubes....she obviously went too deep and cut my abdominal wall causing my bowels to push threw. way to go ob/gyn...thanks for nothing!

I develoloped a seroma 4 weeks out as well. Mine actually began to drain on its own. The Dr opened it on up to begin healing from the inside out. 4 weeks later Im still open at it has tracked like a tunnel over to my port. We are working very hard to keep the port from becoming infected. If that happens the port has to come out. Im taking levaquin and packing the wound with gauze. Not to comfy but whatever it takes right. Im still hoping for the best. Hope your situation is Ok as well.