Possible seroma??

I traveled 425 miles to get my tummy tuck, I stayed there for the required time and am home now. Problem is....I think I have a seroma. I'm not sure, to be honest. I tried calling my plastic surgeons office this weekend but there's been no answer

Is this something my pcp can deal with? I really can't take the 7 hour drive to get back to the plastic surgeons office...

I will be two weeks post op from my abdominoplasty tomorrow, both drains came out on day 10 and two days later I began swelling up like a balloon, it's been going down each night and I've been waking up not swollen but the last couple days I have what appears to be some squishy pockets and one is rather large just above my incision line on my right side. I also have some pain right in that area when I walk.
Sigh.
It's only been now that I'm regretting choosing a surgeon though in my state, is a 7 hour drive away.

Hopefully you can talk to someone on Monday about this.  I wouldn't think they would require you to go back to them.  Your PCP, urgent care place or going to the ER can probably take care of your issue but I'd talk to the surgeon's office first.  If anything, going elsewhere is going to give you a bill that insurance probably won't cover but if it prevents you from traveling then it would be worth it.  Good luck!

Maybe take a pic and email it to your PS and then follow-up with a phone call M morn explaining what you feel sensation-wise. Any temp over ? See doc/PS to make sure no infection. Possibly only need aspiration or just neopirin or other cream,
Please keep us updated and feel better real soon!
Mikimi in Israel

Oh the joy of seromas. Don't panic. Seromas have 2 choices, you can either drain them and seriously they might come back the next day or the body can absorb them which could take months.  Some times it takes multiple drain trips to get them to go away. So just let your surgeon make the call. In the mean time place a warm, not hot cloth over the area and massage it a few time a day. They might ask you to keep them wrapped for compression.

Thanks! I knew I could get advice here!
I haven't had any fever what so ever, so that's probably good! I'm still on antibiotics as my surgeon has his paitents take them for 30 days post op.

I'm going to take a photo, e-mail it and call in the morning.

I will also put the warm compress on, I've not done anything but stay in my recliner and got up hourly for a short walk around the house and to refill my water bottle and use the bathroom. I was so nervous! So I just took it *super* easy today as a precaution.

I've also got my binder on and have been wearing it faithfully since surgery as requested by the surgeon, and I have two more weeks with it before switching to my garment that I ordered....

Hopefully a local surgeon or your pcp will drain it for you. It usually doesn't hurt, they stick a small needle with a large syringe attached and draw out the fluid. You may have to get it done once or twice a wee****il the fluid stops accumulating.

So my doc was in surgery all day since Monday and Wednesday are his operating days....he did call me tonight about 8:30 asking me to take a quick video of my possible seroma, I wasn't able to get a good enough video on my own tonight so Im going to see if my hubby can help me tomorrow with that.

He did tell me to add a garment that goes from my knees to my breast bone in addition to the binder, as my thighs and pubic region are severely swollen/numb....I ordered the one he suggested online but in the meantime I had a spanx one I wore pre tummy tuck and though it's not very tight, it feels soooo nice to have my thighs compressed even if it's not as much as the garment will be, it feels nice for now! I've got my binder on over that and it feels really nice and actually I sonfeel it's helping the swelling even after just 2 hours!

Hope you got in touch with your doc. Seromas are common, and an ultrasound is really the only way to determine how extensive they are and if they need to be drained.  My opinion is that they should be treated early so they don't get established and affect the result.  My practice is to do an ultrasound on everyone in the office the first few weeks after surgery and drain seromas even when small. 

This usually gets them to go away but some persist.

While not an emergency, they can be uncomfortable and can get infected.  You will need to seek more immediate care if redness, fever or pain develop.

 

 

Thank you Dr. L
I did get in contact and sent over the video...
I have not had any fever, and there's no pain associated with the area...just the jiggling weird squishy feeling....