Seromas

[BethinPA 305]

@BethinPA I had a sermona around my belly button after my abdominoplasty. It was super sexy...I could squish one part of my stomach and wash Fluid swish around to the other part. My doctor and I both drained it a few times a week for about a month, then we got annoyed with it and put another drain in for a week, and when we pulled the drain the damn seroma came right back. Finally he pushed alcohol as a slcerosing agent, let it sit in my seroma for about a half hour, then pulled it out- my seroma was gone in a week.

Thanks for sharing, AvaFern, - this is helpful to me, because I think I'm getting to that point. At about how many weeks were you when you went the alcohol route? And that was it, about a week later you were seroma free?

[MichiganChic 3,262]

@@CowgirlJane thanks for the note, and I'm sure hoping that day comes soon! I feel fortunate to have access to great medical care and equipment, because I know it would take a lot longer without the wound vac. As of today all the tunnels are finally healed, and I'm only left with a 2 inch long 1 inch deep open wound. It was 2-3 times that size 2 weeks ago, with two 4-5 inch tunnels that just kept filling with serous Fluid. I'm really thrilled I can see the light at the end of the tunnel!

I might actually start exercising again!

[Julie norton 2,850]

Thanks also cowgirl

Soo very happy that first week post op TT is over!!!

. I must be somewhat better because I am thankful I was able to have it. Doc took off dressing today and I am now using new gel silicone gel sheeting for scar management under the ab binder. It was recommended on this site so thanks to whoever posted it????

[BethinPA 305]

@@CowgirlJane thanks for the note, and I'm sure hoping that day comes soon! I feel fortunate to have access to great medical care and equipment, because I know it would take a lot longer without the wound vac. As of today all the tunnels are finally healed, and I'm only left with a 2 inch long 1 inch deep open wound. It was 2-3 times that size 2 weeks ago, with two 4-5 inch tunnels that just kept filling with serous Fluid. I'm really thrilled I can see the light at the end of the tunnel!

I might actually start exercising again!

That is great news!!

[MichiganChic 3,262]

This wound vac is miraculous! All of the tunnels are healed and the main wound is about 1/4 its original size. I've only had it on 2 weeks, and I think I can discontinue it in a day or two. I'm going to have a wider scar at my inner knee, but my surgeon said she can fix it in about a year. After all this, I care a lot less about that than I care about being healed!

[BethinPA 305]

This wound vac is miraculous! All of the tunnels are healed and the main wound is about 1/4 its original size. I've only had it on 2 weeks, and I think I can discontinue it in a day or two. I'm going to have a wider scar at my inner knee, but my surgeon said she can fix it in about a year. After all this, I care a lot less about that than I care about being healed!

That is such great news!! You have really been through it, and definitely deserve big progress!! I'm really glad to hear it!

[BethinPA 305]

This wound vac is miraculous! All of the tunnels are healed and the main wound is about 1/4 its original size. I've only had it on 2 weeks, and I think I can discontinue it in a day or two. I'm going to have a wider scar at my inner knee, but my surgeon said she can fix it in about a year. After all this, I care a lot less about that than I care about being healed!

How are you doing?

[MichiganChic 3,262]

@@BethinPA I am about healed, thanks for asking. I have a small open area the size of a Q-tip (cotton part) and the seroma is totally gone. I'm so relieved. I actually had tunneling that was nearly a foot in length, and a very large capsule. I don't think it would have ever healed without opening it up like that. I am now dealing with some swelling in my lower leg and foot that I didn't have before the last surgery, but I saw her yesterday, and she said she doesn't think it's anything to worry about. Surprisingly, the scar is not much worse than the original one, at least so far, so it might not even need revision.

How is your seroma?Are you healed? I read somewhere on another thread that it stretched your skin?? Maybe it will shrink back down. Hope you are feeling better.

[BethinPA 305]

@@BethinPA I am about healed, thanks for asking. I have a small open area the size of a Q-tip (cotton part) and the seroma is totally gone. I'm so relieved. I actually had tunneling that was nearly a foot in length, and a very large capsule. I don't think it would have ever healed without opening it up like that. I am now dealing with some swelling in my lower leg and foot that I didn't have before the last surgery, but I saw her yesterday, and she said she doesn't think it's anything to worry about. Surprisingly, the scar is not much worse than the original one, at least so far, so it might not even need revision.

How is your seroma?Are you healed? I read somewhere on another thread that it stretched your skin?? Maybe it will shrink back down. Hope you are feeling better.

I'm glad things are going so well!! Are you able to start exercising yet?

I still have my seroma, and the surgeon drains me weekly, last week it was 105 mls. It's not really going down very quickly at all. He says that if we are still doing the weekly draining by the end of the summer (!), there is a procedure that he would want to do to hopefully resolve this. I can't imagine still having this 5 months from now. But regardless, once the seroma resolves and the swelling goes down, he will revise the front, because the seroma stretched the skin out. This feels like an endurance test! But I have started walking and being more active again, which I really needed. At some point I will think this was all worth it, but God only knows when that will be!

[MichiganChic 3,262]

@@BethinPA Wow, that's a long time to deal with that! I had doxycycline injected into mine, but it didn't help. I would think a drain would help you. Honestly, that's hardly even a problem to deal with. Because the seroma I had wasn't just one big cavity, that didn't work for me. It didn't help that it was at the bend of my knee, so the cannula bent and stopped working. Do you have a capsule? Mine did, which is why it had to be opened up and excised.

It is such a bummer to go through all of this, only to have a less than optimal outcome. Like now I have a bigger scar in that area than I would have had. Also, I still need some liposuction in my outer thighs, and I'm going to need a revision of my butt lift because that skin drooped, too. And you'll need a revision for stretched skin....ugh for us! But I still would do it again, and I do think it was worth it.

I just think that my skin has NO elasticity, so I have to be realistic with my expectations. Some parts of me fared better than others. You just can't be 52 with a 30 year history of morbid obesity and expect to have no visible signs of it.

[CowgirlJane 14,259]

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.

[MichiganChic 3,262]

 

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!

[MichiganChic 3,262]

@@CowgirlJane Thank you for that story. I have a similar story and I'm arriving at the same conclusion. After this issue with the seroma and subsequent wound and now this crazy swelling, it does cause you to have a little Come to Jesus moment with yourself.

I also have that loose skin on my upper posterior thighs, and terrible cellulite on my thighs. My thighs were better right after surgery, but have started to droop a little, and the laxity at my lower butt is enough to warrant a butt lift if I never had one. However, my before pictures were just hideous, and by comparison, it is still so much better.

I have saddlebags on my outer thighs that I think look a little freakish, and I do think I'm going to get Lipo. I also need a minor revision because my right thigh is bigger than the left at the knee. It was much bigger before surgery, but I'd like them to be more even so clothing fits better. As for the repeat butt lift.....not sure I want to go through all of that again and put myself at risk. Obviously, I'm prone to issues, so I need to really think about how much is enough. At what point is the risk no longer with it?

My thighs are never going to be great, or even good. I am never going to look great in a bathing suit from the thighs down.So, in thinking about that risk/benefit comparison, I think the deciding factor is going to be the minimum needed for clothing to fit right. What I had done so far makes my clothing look and fit so much better, I'm thrilled with it. My arms and torso look great, too, and far exceed my expectations. My upper looks like a 25 year old, but my lower half looks like a 52 year old. It's important to really think about when is it good enough - and just move on and enjoy the fruits of our labor. Thanks again for sharing.

[CowgirlJane 14,259]

It is a little scary, but wow it is healing really well. I mean, I don't think you have any worse scars in spite of that nasty looking wound! I am so happy for you!

ImageUploadedByBariatricPal1428018101.875241.jpgImageUploadedByBariatricPal1428018121.583449.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!

[BethinPA 305]

@@BethinPA Wow, that's a long time to deal with that! I had doxycycline injected into mine, but it didn't help. I would think a drain would help you. Honestly, that's hardly even a problem to deal with. Because the seroma I had wasn't just one big cavity, that didn't work for me. It didn't help that it was at the bend of my knee, so the cannula bent and stopped working. Do you have a capsule? Mine did, which is why it had to be opened up and excised.

It is such a bummer to go through all of this, only to have a less than optimal outcome. Like now I have a bigger scar in that area than I would have had. Also, I still need some liposuction in my outer thighs, and I'm going to need a revision of my butt lift because that skin drooped, too. And you'll need a revision for stretched skin....ugh for us! But I still would do it again, and I do think it was worth it.

I just think that my skin has NO elasticity, so I have to be realistic with my expectations. Some parts of me fared better than others. You just can't be 52 with a 30 year history of morbid obesity and expect to have no visible signs of it.

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?