Seromas

[BethinPA 305]

Realistic expectations are key - but it is a real bummer the complications a few of you have had.

I am about 18 months post plastics and love my "Body by Sauceda" as his fan club likes to call it.

I will share my disappointment/unrealistic expectations but it is a bit graphic. Ok, some skin is really badly broken down. You can tell by looking at it.. it is just creppy, full of stretch marks, not nice. I was afraid my arms were unsaveable since I had arm stretch marks from when I was a kid! I have very thin, delicate skin and I never imagined my arms could look as good as they turned out.

When I had the lower body lift the surgeon addressed the "mons" area but they have to be careful to not go crazy and give you the credit card slot look (gross!). Also, the mons area is prone to stretching out post surgery due to the poor quality of the skin. So, what happened to me is that area got really really stretched out when I was obese but I didn't realize it until I had the lift. My pubic hair zone got bigger due to the stretching so I decided to do some hair removal. How awful that skin looks became really apparent when there was no hair to hide it.

Okay, as part of that becoming just a little obsessed with how that looks, I started having a meltdown and thinking I needed a revision and perhaps the thigh lift too. Hell, maybe a butt implant or something too. Then I had a "whoa whoa whoa" moment with myself. My results from weight loss and plastics far exceeded my wildest of dreams and here I am nitpicking. I know both from photographic evidence and feedback from others that my body looks way better than the average American 50 year old and after a lifetime of obesity who can really expect more?

So, I have started using a bronzer/tanner on the newly revealed mons area and it looks better, the stretch marks and weird looking skin is "softened". It is so strange to me that I thought i would be freaked about the scarring, and i am not - and in reality I became negative about something that really isn't that bad.

I don't want more plastics, I don't need more plastics. I will never be perfect but I have met my objective which is to feel and look "normal" - the hot factor was a bonus.

Thanks so much for sharing the good, the bad and the ugly with us! I think it is important to share the real deal, and not just the glam type shots that make us feel good, but can give others a false impression of the reality of these surgeries.

[BethinPA 305]

ImageUploadedByBariatricPal1428018101.875241.jpg ImageUploadedByBariatricPal1428018121.583449.jpg

Hopefully this won't scare anyone, but thought I'd share what the seroma looked like before and how the wound was. All I can say is that it was a good thing I had years of experience as a Homecare nurse, because it might have upset me a little having to manage that wound if I didn't how. So much better now!

That is no joke! But you have healed so well! You have been a real trooper!

[MichiganChic 3,262]

I suggested an injection, but he said results were inconsistent. I wish the drain had worked, but they couldn't find a large enough pocket to insert the drain. He said if this is still present in September then he would bring me in and remove the slickened secreting lining of my abdomen al cavity and rough up the layer underneath of it, so it would then attach better to heal. Then he would do the revision at the same time. Mine is not encapsulated.

When are you planning your revisions?

I am not sure yet. I need to make sure I've totally healed, and I want the swelling in my left foot to be resolved. Some days it seems like it's getting better, then other days, not so much. I am anxious to have both legs be the same size, and I'm anxious to get rid of the excess fat on my lower hips, but not at the cost of my health. So, right now, it's a wait and see.

How does the doc know it's not encapsulated? Now that I think of it I'm not sure how they knew mine was, but she absolutely removed a capsule. And then another....ugh, glad that's behind me!

I think mine was also difficult to find a big enough pocket for the drain to be effective. They called it loculated, meaning it was a series of pockets. I think some were connected and some were not, so a drain was never going to work for me, either. Can you feel the seroma? I could always feel pressure and a vague sense of irritation/burning which was relieved by draining it.

I live an hour away from my doc, and it's a horrendous drive either through or around Detroit traffic always during rush hour, so that made matters more difficult for me. I do hope you have a spontaneous resolution soon so that you can be over it, too. September is a long time to deal with this. I have been feeling like a perpetual patient, and I don't like that.

[BethinPA 305]

As I understand it, if it is encapsulated, you can see it- it's reddened and raised and warm to the touch. Whenever he drains mine, he gets Fluid wherever he sticks me, he just moves the needle around, the same way you might when you are trying to start an IV, but on a larger scale. And I can sort of push my skin towards the needle, to move the fluid towards the needle. We kind of have a routine at this point!

I absolutely can feel the seroma, exactly as you described! It's kind of nice to know that someone else knows what it feels like! And when I bend over at the waist, it's like the fluid separates, and I can feel it.

I'm sorry that you are feeling like a perpetual patient - I feel the same way!

[MichiganChic 3,262]

You can see from the picture I posted mine was raised and red. It would flatten when she drained it. Glad for you that you don't have that. It was pretty miserable having it removed IN THE OFFICE! Yeah, not fun lol. Funny how sticking that needle in you doesn't even bother you, isn't it?

Is your lower abdomen still numb? Mine is, as are my outer thighs. I'm not sure I'm ever going to get feeling back. I keep thinking she could probably do the liposuction to my outer thighs with no anesthesia and I wouldn't feel it, haha!

[BethinPA 305]

You can see from the picture I posted mine was raised and red. It would flatten when she drained it. Glad for you that you don't have that. It was pretty miserable having it removed IN THE OFFICE! Yeah, not fun lol. Funny how sticking that needle in you doesn't even bother you, isn't it?

Is your lower abdomen still numb? Mine is, as are my outer thighs. I'm not sure I'm ever going to get feeling back. I keep thinking she could probably do the liposuction to my outer thighs with no anesthesia and I wouldn't feel it, haha!

Yes, my lower abdomen is still numb, which I guess is kinda good, since I'm being stuck there every week. I had my knees replaced, and it took a good year before that numbness went away, so I figure it could take a long time this go round as well. What is really gross is when he sticks me to drain me, sometimes he pushes too deeply and pokes my abdominal muscles with the tip of the needle. That I definitely feel!

[AvaFern 3,516]

@@BethinPA

I didn't see your last reply to my first post until now. Has your doctor tried the alcohol route? I was at about 6 weeks when we used alcohol and it cleared it up in a week. I would not have the tolerance to have it drained for the entire summer and I would demand that he consider a sclerosing agent. He's wasting both your time and his by constantly draining it without trying any other option. The alcohol my doctor used had a higher percentage of alcohol than the kind they regularly keep in the office, because I remember him saying he ordered it especially for me. He emptied my seroma, then pushed the area full of alcohol, I sat there for a half hour, he came back and drained out the alcohol, and in a week it was gone. We had planned to go the sclerosing agent route one more time after that, but there was no need.

Honestly, if my doc had told me it would take months to clear up a seroma and the only option was continuously draining it, I would have gone to another surgeon. Ain't nobody got time for that.

[MichiganChic 3,262]

@@BethinPA

I didn't see your last reply to my first post until now. Has your doctor tried the alcohol route? I was at about 6 weeks when we used alcohol and it cleared it up in a week. I would not have the tolerance to have it drained for the entire summer and I would demand that he consider a sclerosing agent. He's wasting both your time and his by constantly draining it without trying any other option. The alcohol my doctor used had a higher percentage of alcohol than the kind they regularly keep in the office, because I remember him saying he ordered it especially for me. He emptied my seroma, then pushed the area full of alcohol, I sat there for a half hour, he came back and drained out the alcohol, and in a week it was gone. We had planned to go the sclerosing agent route one more time after that, but there was no need.

Honestly, if my doc had told me it would take months to clear up a seroma and the only option was continuously draining it, I would have gone to another surgeon. Ain't nobody got time for that.

My doc used doxycycline, which really hurt, but I didn't get much good from it. She had planned to do it a second time but then changed her mind. I don't think that thing would have ever healed. I'm with you, I wouldn't have wanted to go on much longer with it. I hated having it cut open, but so glad it's over!

[BethinPA 305]

@@BethinPA

I didn't see your last reply to my first post until now. Has your doctor tried the alcohol route? I was at about 6 weeks when we used alcohol and it cleared it up in a week. I would not have the tolerance to have it drained for the entire summer and I would demand that he consider a sclerosing agent. He's wasting both your time and his by constantly draining it without trying any other option. The alcohol my doctor used had a higher percentage of alcohol than the kind they regularly keep in the office, because I remember him saying he ordered it especially for me. He emptied my seroma, then pushed the area full of alcohol, I sat there for a half hour, he came back and drained out the alcohol, and in a week it was gone. We had planned to go the sclerosing agent route one more time after that, but there was no need.

Honestly, if my doc had told me it would take months to clear up a seroma and the only option was continuously draining it, I would have gone to another surgeon. Ain't nobody got time for that.

My doc used doxycycline, which really hurt, but I didn't get much good from it. She had planned to do it a second time but then changed her mind. I don't think that thing would have ever healed. I'm with you, I wouldn't have wanted to go on much longer with it. I hated having it cut open, but so glad it's over!

Well I had my weekly draining last Thursday and told him that I was just over it, I was done. He told me that he totally understood, and we could move forward however I wanted to. I think he was being so conservative out of respect to my finances, and was fine with doing the procedure now, rather than later. At this point, just tell me who to make the check out to, I just want my health back!

So Friday morning I am going to the surgi center, and he will open me back up, introduce a sclerosing agent (I think talc), remove the outer layer of my abdominal wall and roughen up the layer underneath so that it will adhere better, and then sew me up as tight as he can, so the seroma doesn't have room to reform. He will give me a drain. I'm just trying to think really positively, because this has to work. I am so ready to move on! And I'm squeezing this in - I took off Monday, but then I have to go back to work, at least half days, for the rest of the week. God bless those of you who has multiple surgeries in stages - I just want off of this roller coaster!

[CowgirlJane 14,259]

So sorry this is still going on. I can't even imagine. I guess I didn't realize how good I had it - it was alot to recover from with no complications.

It has been 18 months since my plastics and the lower belly is still a bit numb.. I am thinking it is permanent. It is the area between the belly button and incision about the size of palm of my hand. I mostly don't notice it and it doesn't cause any problems. . One of the risks of plastics.

@ Oregondaisy has reported fabulous results from her facelift but has permanent numbness too. It is one of many reasons to take plastics seriously...

[MichiganChic 3,262]

Pretty soon it will be a distant memory. I don't blame you for wanting it over, and I bet you'll heal really fast. You sound like me, going to work with a hole in my leg. Geez, it would be nice not to have to do that, wouldn't it?

Once you have this done, you might wonder why you didn't do it sooner. I messed around getting it drained for weeks, but once she cut it open and left it open, it healed in a month. The scar is a little wider there, but not bad. I still have swelling in my foot, but it seems to be getting slightly better, and I'm praying it's temporary. Once that swelling goes down, I'll still think this was worth all the trouble.

One thing about being numb - none of this hurts that much! You'll get through the drain phase and be on your way to feeling and looking good very soon! Hang in there - you are almost there!

[BethinPA 305]

So sorry this is still going on. I can't even imagine. I guess I didn't realize how good I had it - it was alot to recover from with no complications.

It has been 18 months since my plastics and the lower belly is still a bit numb.. I am thinking it is permanent. It is the area between the belly button and incision about the size of palm of my hand. I mostly don't notice it and it doesn't cause any problems. . One of the risks of plastics.

@ Oregondaisy has reported fabulous results from her facelift but has permanent numbness too. It is one of many reasons to take plastics seriously...

I actually haven't thought much about the numbness, I've been wearing shape wear 24/7 for 3+ months, so my sensation is off anyway.

Since your surgery, has your skin stretched back out at all? And how does your belly button look? Can you see scarring there?

[BethinPA 305]

Pretty soon it will be a distant memory. I don't blame you for wanting it over, and I bet you'll heal really fast. You sound like me, going to work with a hole in my leg. Geez, it would be nice not to have to do that, wouldn't it?

Once you have this done, you might wonder why you didn't do it sooner. I messed around getting it drained for weeks, but once she cut it open and left it open, it healed in a month. The scar is a little wider there, but not bad. I still have swelling in my foot, but it seems to be getting slightly better, and I'm praying it's temporary. Once that swelling goes down, I'll still think this was worth all the trouble.

One thing about being numb - none of this hurts that much! You'll get through the drain phase and be on your way to feeling and looking good very soon! Hang in there - you are almost there!

Thank you for your support! I have decided that this surgery is going to go swimmingly- I won't consider another outcome.

I'm glad things went so well with your recovering!

[Julie norton 2,850]

Well. 5 wks out and yes on the numbness. Think it's just part of plastics. Same place cowgirl. And my belly button is the sorest spot left. Gotta wear binder more hours a day doc says. Ok. I'm compliant.

[MichiganChic 3,262]

There's a lot to be said for positive thinking!

My lower abdomen and back are quite numb. I only notice it if I get an itch there, because you can't relieve it by scratching. Drives me nuts!

My skin on my abdomen looks great - better than it ever did. My belly button also looks great. At first she thought I might have more scarring, but it's not bad. The actual scar around my lower torso isn't that great. I had a small area of necrosis in the front, so that's a red scar, and I had an area open in the back that's much wider, and all the drain spots are also bigger. It's still red, too. I'm 8 months out from my lower body lift.

The skin on my thighs didn't perform as well. I still have a lot of cellulite, and still some fat in my outer hips which pulled things down. My upper posterior thighs looked better at first, but now have a fair amount of laxity to them. I'm not sure what I'm going to do about all that. Either way, they are better than before! One of these days I'm going to post a picture....