Topic: Healing of Seroma - Need Help!

Dear All,

I was trying to find info on seromas and came across a thread in the reconstruction site regarding chronic seromas.  I am posting my contribution here in the surgery forum in hopes that someone who reads this forum will be able to offer some advice.    I am so tired of battling this. 

Thanks,

Becky 

I think this might be what I am battling! This coming Friday (Nov 6) will be six months since my mastectomy.  Once drains were removed, I had to go to doctor's office once or twice a week to have fluid drained (towards the end, it was about 50 cc every week or so).  I battled infection starting mid-July when I was undergoing radiation (not in breast, but UTI, went on antibiotics, developed both yeast infection and hives, was on antibiotics, steroids and antifungal all at same time.  During this time (in July), I was drained one Monday, had a horrible night Monday night with pain throughout mastectomy site.  Plus my mastectomy scar changed - it developed really hard ridges (about 1 inch thick), and skin pulled - whole scar sort of looked like a field that hasn't had any rain - lots of ruts and ridges.  Pretty much stayed on antibiotics through August and September - had bout of cellulitis (according to PCP), lymphangitis (according to surgeon), finally was released from surgeon saying I didn't need to come back until December (no need to drain seroma anymore).  10 days later developed redness, warmth and pain across mastectomy site - diagnosed with abcess extending from sternum to underarm area - had to be surgically drained. Had vancomycin (IV) for three days in hospital, then went on Zyvox for 10 days, then bactrum for 7 (sinus infection).  Surgery was a month ago today.   Have been seeing surgeon once or twice throughout October.  He released me (again) last Monday, said he would see me in February.  I had been off of antibiotics 1 week.  On Wednesday, redness, warmth and pain returned in area right next to sternum.  So I am back on antibiotics, can push fluid around - still have three open incisions along my scar that are weeping.  If you push on the ridges, they stay depressed (sort of like that foam everyone sleeps on, if you get the picture).  Eventually pop back out. 

So, is surgery the answer?  I really don't want to have surgery again (twice already this year), but then again, school is over first week in December, don't have to go back until January, and have more than met out of pocket this year -

Any other ways that people have resolved the issue?  I was reading about having alcohol or talc powder put into the cavity - I think they call is seromadesis?  or having the inside surface of the seroma cavity removed - is that a capsulectomy?

Thanks in advance,

Becky