Seroma?

What is it and how do you know if that is what it is or just normal fluid build up? I am 3 weeks out tomorrow from having my TT. I had my second drain removed on Thursday. Tonight I noticed that when I touch one side of my lower abdomen the other moves kinda like a waterbed. Its not huge or anything but enough to were I noticed it when putting my ointment and binder on. I see my PS on Friday but just wanted to know if this is normal?

Thanks

Yep, it's probably a seroma.  The PS can drain it when you see him on Friday.

Lora

Sounds like a seroma, and yes they are normal.  You can either call your PS and ask if you need to be sooner or if you can wait until Friday.  Either way, don't be surprised if during the course of every day movement it starts leaking.  That's normal too. 

I had one when I had my hysterectomy and they way my gyno explained is that the fluid builds up and sometimes the liquid absorbs back into the body and sometimes it finds the path of least resistance out of the body, which is an incision line.

Great....wish I had been informed. I had no idea what this was, never heard of it. I googled it when I got home assuming this was not a good thing. I have read that most times these have to be aspirated several times? Does this hurt? I am so pissed that I was not informed that this could happen! I will call my PS first thing this monring. Thanks for the info.

Keep in mind, I'm speaking from my experience of a hysterectomy (it was an open procedure) so it's similar but not exactly the same.

When I went to my doctor, he basically pressed all around it to get out as much fluid as possible.  No aspiration was needed, no packing, etc.  I believe those measures are required for more complicated issues/infected areas.  Mine was pretty simple and didn't hurt. 

Mine was in the fold right under my panni and the first time it leaked, it was because I bent over and applied the pressure of my panni to it.  The fluid just started running out and had I not seen the fluid or felt it (as gross as it sounds) running down my skin, I wouldn't have known anything happened.  Even when my doctor was pressing on it (and he was rather agressive but not rough) it didn't hurt at all.  

Generally, when you have drains seromas are less likely.  The fluids that the drains collect is the same building up in the seroma - which that is the purpose of the drains.  At this point, I dont' think it's anything to panic over but talk to your doctor, he/she may want to see you earlier at most.

Good luck.

(FWIW, I was rather intrigued by mine.  Once I saw the doctor and knew that it was okay to press on it, I would do it at home to help keep things moving - again, my doctor okayed this)

I am waiting for a return call. I had my first drain removed after a week and the second one was removed on Thursday. I will keep you informed.

Thanks

Hey - guess what I discovered when I went to get into the shower this morning?  I had a little bit of seapage; so it looks like I got my own seroma.  I have to stop by my ps' office this morning anyway so I'll talk to them then.  

Seroma sisters?  lol

My story  is yucky, proceed with caution :)

I got my gall bladder out last summer... One day I was cleaning the incision in my belly button and sprung a HORRIBLE leak.. it was shooting out orangish pinkish yuckish stuff everywhere. I freaked out and went to the ER.. told me it was a seroma.

It was never painful, I never needed any sort of assistance in getting it drained because it continued to leak non stop. I had to put gause pads over it to catch it. I want to say it went on for about a week or two.

I hope your experience is pain free. Don't be scared though if you start leaking stuff... that's normal... but if it happens to you in the volume it happened to me, it may frighten you a little.

Thanks for the heads-up, I would have **** myself.  I have a question, did i cause this? Was it something I did or did not do? I am very hard on myself.