Huge hematoma after expander replacement and fat grafting

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ready2bedone
ready2bedone Member Posts: 95
edited December 2017 in Breast Reconstruction

Hi, I am about 10 days post op from having my tissue expanders swapped out for implants (above pectoral) and fat grafting surgery. I have a HUGE hematoma on one side from my armpit to my waist. Very black with a hard lump the size and shape of half a cantaloupe. It pushes the breast on that side towards the middle so that looks pretty weird too. Not really painful, just slightly tender but I am concerned because it isn't going away any. I saw my PS 5 days post op and he just said to massage it. I don't see him again for 2 weeks. I am on Lovenox injection daily for 2 weeks postop but was not on anything preop nor do I take NSAIDs.

Anyone else have something like this and did it go away on its own? Looking for some reassurance I guess.

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  • Lemint
    Lemint Member Posts: 162
    edited November 2017

    Hi, I had a black area after my reconstruction surgery. I had to have surgery but that was different because the tissue had failed. I would demand more information than massage. Ive recently noticed a slippery movable lump in my upper pole area of chest. I had fat grafting this past July in that area. I've had many complications including a wound that did not heal for 4 months or more. I also devolved cellulitis in that area this past March, in hospital for 5 days.I'm not sure whats going on. A lump scares me.

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  • ready2bedone
    ready2bedone Member Posts: 95
    edited November 2017

    Had a follow up with my PS yesterday. He drained a ton of very black blood from the hematoma and said hopefully that will help it go down more.

    Lemint - wow, you've been through a lot! Good luck with the lump, I hope it is nothing scary.

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  • Lemint
    Lemint Member Posts: 162
    edited December 2017

    Read2bedone, I was nervous for 2 weeks. My oncologist wanted to see me and we did a ultrasound. It is fat that didn't take. So hapoy, I lost 6# with all the stress and worry. I think we all will get nervous over anything now.

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  • wrenn
    wrenn Member Posts: 2,707
    edited December 2017

    I didn't have reconstruction but had a hematoma that was 18cm by 13cm from mastectomy. The home care nurse worried that it would become infected and pressured the surgeon to see me but she was too busy and said not to worry. After I was healed from BMX I got a high fever and went to emerg and it started gushing blood out of my "healed" incision. The hematoma had become infected and found the weakest area (recently healed incision) to break through the skin.

    They emerg docs were in a panic assuming the blood was coming from an artery and were taking me to the OR and told me to call daughter to come right away. They thought I would bleed out. It finally slowed down and I mentioned the hematoma so they cancelled the OR but I was admitted for 4 days for packing of wound and IV antibiotics. IT held up my chemo for over 90 days because of the wound.

    I would stay on top of it and keep a close eye.

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  • ready2bedone
    ready2bedone Member Posts: 95
    edited December 2017

    Wow wrenn, how scary! And terrible that it set you back so much. I hope you are doing well now.

    The bruising from the hematoma is gone except for a small area on my breast that is finally turning yellow. But I still have a good size lump on my side below my armpit, probably about the size of half a banana. I had my surgery 6 weeks ago and it is considerably smaller than it was (half a cantaloupe!) but I am a bit concerned it hasn't gone completely yet. I don't see my plastic surgeon again until January but will see my breast surgeon next week so I am sure she will take a look at it then. Fortunately it has never become infected or has even been sore, just annoying really.

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  • ready2bedone
    ready2bedone Member Posts: 95
    edited December 2017

    Lemint, what do they do if you have fat grafting that doesn't take?

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