Dealing with Recurrent Seroma

I had about the same results as DogMom. My RO said it would take a year to resolve and that was true to the day. Then this past year I developed truncal lymphedema so when I fill up with fluid so does the seroma. I now wear sports bras as to not irritate that site. It slowly goes up and down. Stretching and massage do work. I was also told to lightly massage my incisional line daily to prevent lumps.

BCat40,

From what I have read on BCO and on other websites, it is common for seromas to require multiple aspirations. For me, the third time was the charm, but had Covid not happened, I would have even gone for fourth aspiration.

Here's the long version of my experience: I had a seroma that developed soon after my lumpectomy that caused pain and became encapsulated. I also developed general breast swelling after radiation that was deemed not to be lymphedema. I finally got so sick of it, I asked my surgeon to drain it. He did, and it came back quickly, which he said was likely to happen because it was encapsulated. He drained it again about a month later, and once again, it came back. However, it wasn't quite as big that time, so my surgeon said it would be worth it to try again if it came back, which it did. I went back one month later and had it drained a third time. That was on March 12 last year. Covid shut everything down soon after, so I knew if it came back, I wouldn't be going in anytime soon to get it aspirated a fourth time. It did come back, but even a little smaller. While I was working from home during the Covid shutdown, I rolled up a sock and put it in my bra to give that spot some extra compression. I wore it all day and all night. I did that for at least a month, and one morning I woke up and all of a sudden the seroma was almost gone. I doubt the sock would have done the trick on its own, and I probably would have gone back for a fourth aspiration if I could have. I can still feel the seroma somewhat and it was noted on my most recent mammo report as a "resolving seroma," but it doesn't hurt, doesn't rub the inside of my arm, and doesn't make that breast look huge compared to the other one anymore. In fact, the little bit that is left actually seems to add enough contour at the lumpectomy site to prevent me from having a big dent. The best part of all is that the overall swelling in the breast resolved as the seroma got smaller. The bottom of my breast had so much fluid retention that the skin felt thick and lumpy, but that is gone now. I had gone to a PT/lymphedema specialist for help with the swelling, but it didn't do much good until that seroma got smaller. I had thought that since my seroma was encapsulated that surgery was going to be my only option, but thankfully my surgeon was willing to aspirate a few times which did the trick. If it hadn't, my surgeon said a referral to a plastic surgeon would have been appropriate. I wasn't crazy about the thought of more surgery, so I'm thankful the aspirating worked. For me, it was worth it to keep having it drained. Good luck with yours!

NoBananas, I had an active seroma in my node biopsy site when I started SAVI, an internally delivered radiation. My seroma actually got better gradually after that 5-day type of treatment, but I don't know about regular radiation or if the location of the seroma matters. Only your RO will know based on your situation. Best wishes that you can move ahead with radiation and that the seroma heals soon!

JKL2017, thank you so much for your information! Mine is also right where the tumour was. But mine is weeping, not encapsulated. Just hoping my treatment won’t be stalled. I’ll keep you posted. Thank yo very much.