Dealing with Recurrent Seroma

Options
BCat40
BCat40 Member Posts: 241

I had a sizable seroma after my lumpectomy and it has now been fully drained twice over a 9 month period and I feel like it's coming back again. It causes me ongoing irritation. Has anyone had any successful treatment to get rid of a recurrent seroma? I've read about sclerotherapy or the option for them to go in and surgically remove the "capsule" and then sew you back up.

Comments

  • ceanna
    ceanna Member Posts: 5,270
    edited March 2021

    BCat40, sorry you're again experiencing problems. While I can't answer your question, maybe a call to your breast center, and nurse navigator if available, would help you decide what to do. I had a seroma and it went away after being drained twice and radiation. Meanwhile, this will bump your question back to the top of the list so others might see and answer!

  • BCat40
    BCat40 Member Posts: 241
    edited March 2021

    Thanks ceanna. I contacted my BS and she said sclerotherapy could permanently deform my breast and surgical removal is too invasive. So I'm supposed to just keep re-aspirating until it hopefully stops refilling.

  • Pessa
    Pessa Member Posts: 519
    edited March 2021

    I had a seroma. Had it drained 3 or 4 times then it stopped recurring. No other treatment was needed.

  • BCat40
    BCat40 Member Posts: 241
    edited March 2021

    Pessa--that's good to hear! I hope 3 or 4 times can be the charm for me too then! It's getting so irritating and I feel like it came back so fast after the last drainage (within a month).

  • DogMomRunner
    DogMomRunner Member Posts: 616
    edited March 2021

    I had one after surgery. My BS drained it once but it came back immediately. I just lived with it, massaged and and bought bras cut to not rub on it. It finallly went down after about 10 months. On my annual mammogram they could still see it but thankfully it was not palpable

  • flashlight
    flashlight Member Posts: 698
    edited March 2021

    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
    BCat40 Member Posts: 241
    edited March 2021

    I am already in PT due to breast swelling/localized breast lymphedema and the professional massage got the generalized swelling down but did not touch the seroma. It's encapsulated. I would just let it be except that it causes me pain and a burning feeling.

  • SUPer52
    SUPer52 Member Posts: 122
    edited March 2021

    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
    NoBananas Member Posts: 31
    edited April 2021

    May I ask anyone, please. Did your seroma stop you from having radiation? My seroma weeps every day, some days more than others. I meet my radium specialist on Friday. I don’t want there to be a major hold up to start treatment because of this.

  • ceanna
    ceanna Member Posts: 5,270
    edited April 2021

    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
    JKL2017 Member Posts: 437
    edited April 2021

    NoBananas, I don’t believe your seroma should stop you from having radiation. Like ceanna, I had a seroma at the time I was scheduled for radiation (brachytherapy). Mine was actually in the cavity left by thetumor removal (the same cavity into which the Savi was placed). My BS drained the seroma before inserting the Savi but it refilled shortly after I completed radiation (and the Savi was removed). It was drained again a few weeks later at my physical therapist’s suggestion but when it refilled a third time I said “enough” and have accepted that it may be here to stay. Ask your RO when you see him/her on Friday. If it needs to be drained before radiation, perhaps it can be done at that time. Good luck!

  • NoBananas
    NoBananas Member Posts: 31
    edited April 2021

    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.

Categories