Last aspiration??

I go back to the surgeon today, for what I hope is my last - 7th - aspiration of my flanks following my brachioplasty and flank skin removal.  He also revised a place on my thigh, which will need to also be aspirated today - #8 for the thigh.  The seroma on my left flank is now pretty small, but in the past, mine just won't resolve on their own without frequent aspirations or repeat surgery.  Even if I have to have one or two more, they shouldn't need to be 2 times per week like now. 
Hoping that I can get back to normal faster once I'm not collecting fluid.

OK...stupid question here!  I had (extended) brachioplasty 2 weeks ago today.  How will I know if I need to get "aspirated"?  I am in a binder 24/7, but I look daily at my incision lines.  I still have some (very little) tape stuck on the incisions and everything seems to look OK?  Would I know it if I need to be aspirated? 

Sorry to be so dumb!

Brooke

I have incisions that go all the way down to my LBL scar at my hips.  I developed fluid pockets on both of my sides the weekend after the jp drains were pulled 3 weeks ago.  I knew that I had to have an aspiration immediatedly after waking up on the Saturday morning after the Friday late afternoon that they were pulled.  I had a large fluid filled pocket that could be seen and felt - it is like jello when you press on it.  I had these on both sides, and had already had one on my thigh that we'd been dealing with.  Usually, you won't develop seromas until your drains come out - BUT, me being the queen of seromas, I've developed them with drains in. 

So, look at your incision line, are there areas that are "growing", that have a fluid wave or jello feel to them.  I had a tiny one in my right arm, but it did go away after 1 aspiration.  The others have been persistent.  I did also develop one at the left side of my breast, but there again, one aspiration took care of that - is was probably part of the larger one that went from left hip to left breast, and some of the tissue sealed up forming 2 pockets.

Oh, seromas are fluid filled pockets that prevent the skin from adhering to the facsia and conneting everything back together again internally.

If you are not seeing a fluid filled pocket, you don't need an aspiration.  Some of us are just difficult this way.

Jennie,

Thank you so much for the explanation!  I am so sorry you have to deal with that.  It sounds painful.  So far, I don't see any of these symptoms, although I do have some nerve damage in my left forearm.  I'm hoping that is temporary.

I hope this will be your last aspiration...

Brooke

Brooke,
They aren't painful because they put the needle in your incision and it is usually pretty numb.  My right side is waking up, so I do feel the needle going in more, but its not a big deal.  It's just more of a pain in the neck.  I had some issues in my left forearm due to the IV - had lots of pain, swelling and weird nerve stuff, so maybe yours will be temporary like mine.  I am numb along much of my incision line, but the feeling is coming back.  It will never be the same, but I will get more feeling back.