Mastectomy site look and bloody seroma

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Pinkbear
Pinkbear Member Posts: 1
edited March 2015 in Surgery - Before, During, and After

I had my right mastectomy 2 weeks ago. My surgery site looks like I have half of my breast left although it was mastectomy. Is any one has the same looking breast? I thought it would be flat.....

My surgeon said I have a lot of hematoma and she drained it out by squeezing it out of my JP drainage site. My JP was removed because it was clogged up with blood.

A lot of dark old blood came out and she told me to do that at home under warm shower. SHE may take me back to surgery next week to drain it out and clean it for faster heeling. Anyone had the same problems before?

I also had a feeling of very weak and short of breath after few steps and I found out my hemoglobin was only 7.6 and my onco doc recommended blood transfusion !!! I refused it but maybe I should get it if I had that much blood in my surgery site....

Sorry, I did not mentioned, I had a chemo before surgery and decide to do delay reconstruction. I have radiation coming up soon.

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  • Moderators
    Moderators Member Posts: 25,912
    edited March 2015

    Welcome to the BCO Forum. There is possible tissue swelling but it sounds like you may have a seroma full of fluid and possibly blood. Sounds like your drain/s are not working well. We'd suggest you return to your surgeon to have it drained, or whatever they suggest is best. If your haemoglobin is low to the point of feeling light-headed a transfusion, as your doctor suggested, may be best. Won't do any ham!

    We hope your site settles down and flattens out, as you want. Was it a request for going 'flat' or was it a skin sparing surgery? It may have bearing upon why it looks that way too.

    All the best, The Mods

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  • angelia50
    angelia50 Member Posts: 381
    edited March 2015

    No, mine was smooth with just the incision, but I had expander placed at time of surgery. No extra skin, had two drains, but they didnt' have dark blood in them.

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  • Ariom
    Ariom Member Posts: 6,197
    edited March 2015

    Hello PinkBear, you don't mention if you are planning on having recon, if you are having it later, you may have some extra skin left, for that process.

    My chest was flat with a straight incision, I never intend to have recon. Soon after surgery, I developed a seroma under the incision which actually swished around like a waterbed and a hematoma which my surgeon removed with a large syringe. The seroma filled up again, but my surgeon wanted it to be taken up by my system. It took a while, but eventually it disappeared.

    I can't speak for the breathlessness you're experiencing, but be kind to yourself, you have been through a really brutal surgery and it isn't unusual to experience swelling and seromas. I found I would literally fall asleep mid sentence, in the early days after surgery, the tiredness wasn't something I was expecting.I is very early days for you, you'll find there are some weird sensations that you'll experience and your chest will change over time, in its appearance.

    I wish you all the very best for a speedy, uneventful recovery!


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