Question:
Huge swelling post Panni. When will it go away?

I am 3 1/2 weeks out from a hernia repair and Panni. Right away my right drain did not drain much and within a week I was swollen on the right side like Im pregnant. The left side at week 3 ended up ballooning up too. My surgeon drained 500cc off the left side but said he wouldnt touch the right side. I went back for a follow up a couple of days later to try to talk him into doing something about the right side which is uncomfortable and is not going down. He said that it was a huge clot and that he would have to excise it to get it out that draining would not work and that I would be set up for infection so he would rather that my body dissolve it on its own. Anyone have this happen before? And if so how long did it take to go down. I know that seromas can take months sometimes and am wearing my band faithfully. Is there anything else I can do to help this go down?    — jenafwife (posted on March 25, 2005)

March 25, 2005
I would ask him to do an ultrasound, to be sure if it is a clot or a seroma. No need to be in pain, I was poked in several differant places to drain my seromas, and I never had infections or problems. You could have him go in a excise it and put a new drain in, but that would be more surgery, but at least you wont be in pain, is it getting bigger? Good luck Rosemary
   — wizz40

March 25, 2005
Hi. A clot will dissolve and usually liquify after 3 weeks, then it can be drained easily with a tube or a needle. It is a setup for infection and I like to get them out. Plus they're uncomfortable. I keep an ultrasound machine in my office just for this purpose. Your problem is not uncommon in WLP. I tell patients they all have a 20-40% chance of developing some form of fluid collection after major body sculpting procedures.
   — DrL

March 26, 2005
Thank you for your responses. I am going back monday to have the left side drained again as it is filling once more. I will talk to him again about doing something about the right side but he was pretty adamant about leaving it alone. Its not getting any bigger and I have double banded the last couple of days and it does feel better and a little softer. I really do not want to be cut anymore so I will try to be patient and let it go down on its own. Jen Layman
   — jenafwife

March 27, 2005
After three months of draining my very large sermoa, my plastic surgeon did d another surgery but with no real cutting. He injected eythrmicin into the entire stomach wall and reinserted one drain. It took another two months after that for the seroma to disappear completely. I did not just wear a band, I wore a garment that ranged from under my breats to jst above my knees from September to January...it was not comfortable at all!
   — Christine C.

March 27, 2005
I had a large seroma it went from hip to hip after my LBL. It was really uncomfortable. When I saw my surgeon she said she didn't want to aspirate it for fear she would allow infection to enter into the cavity. She suggested I wear a full body garment that covered my whole abdomen down to my thighs as tight as I could stand it. Eventually my body did absorb all the fluid but it took a couple of months. It was ugly and it hurt but I was glad it went away on its own without having anything else done. The thought of more surgery was worse than the seroma. I think the least intervention you have the better off you are if you aren't showing ANY signs of infection. I had tons of labs done and I had to monitor my temperature non stop. Keep in mind your body takes time to heal these are big surgeries......patience...patience:-) Wendi
   — lovemonterey

March 29, 2005
Thanks Wendi! you post gives me some hope. I did have the left side drained once more and he got out 500cc but still refuses to touch the right side. And the right side does seem to be not as tight as before.
   — jenafwife

March 30, 2005
A seroma is a collection of fluid. A clot is blood that has formed a solid mass. A solid mass will not drain. The body must dissolve it and then it can be absorbed. You might want to try a heating pad for 15-20 minutes 3-4 times per day. That will increase circulation to the area and may help increase absorption of the clot. Watch the site carefully for increased size and check your temperature. Fever would warrant a trip to MD. Good luck.
   — dianne E.

March 30, 2005
Just to update: Im 4 1/2 weeks post op and now starting to notice that the swelling is going down on the left side. I do notice that when I do too much and am up for several hours that it does increase and gets uncomfortable again. So I am taking it easy when I can and wearing my binder 24/7.
   — jenafwife