Continued draining - ThinnerTimes

twodogsmom · 01-22-2008, 10:33 AM

If you are squeamish, don't read! I am 6 weeks out from a TT, and still having copious amounts of drainage that they are removing every 2 days via needle aspiration. My JP drain was in til 2 weeks ago when the seal started to leak and it was sucking more air than fluid. Last week in 3 visits they removed 220 cc, 120cc and 165cc of serous sang. fluid. It was suggested that I might have seroma. Can anyone, maybe one of our docs or nurses shed some lite on this. Is this amount of drainage this far out normal.? Tissue around my hip and groin feels like a water balloon when it needs to be drained. If it is a seroma, what needs to be done? Is this impeding my healing? I'll see the surgeon tomorrow but he always seems to have a "be patient" attitude which frustrates the hell out of me!

MariBsilly · 01-22-2008, 10:57 AM

Sorry to hear of you're excessive draining. It does seem pretty excessive. I had a TT on Dec. 5th. I started out with 3 drainage tubes. 1 was taken the following week and by 3 weeks all were taken out. A few days after the 3rd was taken out I did have to have some fluid aspirated (fun stuff eh?) but only had 25 cc's taken. I don't know what a senoma is but please do you're research and ask you're surgeon questions. Demand answers. I feel for you and hope that you're draining stops quickly. Take care!

Toony · 01-22-2008, 11:28 AM

I'm so sorry to read about your problem... I would imagine it has to be slowing up your healing. I hope you get good solid answers tomorrow... In addition your your questions, I'd ask:

It it an infection? Do I need antibiotics?
What can I do to help it - heat? Ice?

SueRN · 01-23-2008, 07:37 AM

It's not probably seroma, it is seroma. This is a common complication of TT. Sounds like they may need to put a JP drain back in. I had my TT in Dec 2006. Some days, I have mild edema in my stomach even now. It ripples like a wter balloon, but does go away. Are you still wearing compression? The problem is that the skin is taking longer to adhear to the new area and fluid build up in the area due to the natural process of osmosis (where water moves from an area of higher concentration to lower concentration to achieve a better fluid balance) (nature sucks by the way). This is just going to be a longer healing process for you. Make sure you are not lifting more than 5 lbs or doing too much as this can increase your risk for seroma. This doesn't mean that you are going to have a bad outcome, just a longer healing process. Sue

Toony · 01-23-2008, 07:48 AM

OT: SUERN...
I always look for your posts and enjoy your messages... you have so much knowledge to share with all of us! THANKS for being you and sharing yourself with us!!!

MiladyB · 01-23-2008, 06:25 PM

Sue took the words right out of my mouth. She is right on. I too developed a seroma after my plastic surgery. I didn't have the amount of fluid you did but I know that my plastic surgeon said if it had continued he would have put a drain back in. I only had to be drained twice and it was only about 30-60 ml each time. If you aren't wearing a compression garment I would suggest you start. It should help. Outside of that and a drain it is pretty much a "be patient" kind of thing. It will slow your healing but in the long run you should heal ok. It will just take a little longer.

pebitpeb · 01-24-2008, 07:35 AM

Hello, I had tt on 14 December, during which they attempted reconstructed a belly button that had a hernia, but it didn't work out so the surgeon went for two weeks of changing bandages and medication hoping it would heal on its own, instead I opened more and had to undergo another surgery to be closed up. The first time the drainage tubes were taken out and then but back in, which added to unsealed holes on my right side. On Jan. 14 I underwent a surgery to close everything which was successful however I had 3 drainage tubes in be with bottles attached at the end to collect the fluid, Monday my surgeon removed the first and today the other two, so far so good, no further drainage or swelling. I hope that your drainage issue clears up quickly so you can move past this unpleasant moment. Hang in there and you are in my thoughts.
Paul

twodogsmom · 02-07-2008, 06:33 AM

Thanks to all who responded-the draining has stopped, no more fluid to aspirate. I have been wearing a binder since day one-the only problem with that is that since I have no waist or hips with it on my pants fall down! But the extra padd under the binder came off so I can now wear pants with a waistband and belt, vs elastic and seems to help-and I feel more human out of sweats. I still may need another procedurte to lift the pubic area-it looks awful-he says edema, I say excess tissue not removed properly the first time. I'll know in 2 weeks. Also need a small scar revision under right armpit so they can do those at the same time. I am pretty sure there won't be any charge from the PS but should I have to pay the anesthesiologist for this procedure or should the PS eat it since he F-----up in the first place?

MiladyB · 02-07-2008, 08:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by twodogsmom

Thanks to all who responded-the draining has stopped, no more fluid to aspirate. I have been wearing a binder since day one-the only problem with that is that since I have no waist or hips with it on my pants fall down! But the extra padd under the binder came off so I can now wear pants with a waistband and belt, vs elastic and seems to help-and I feel more human out of sweats. I still may need another procedurte to lift the pubic area-it looks awful-he says edema, I say excess tissue not removed properly the first time. I'll know in 2 weeks. Also need a small scar revision under right armpit so they can do those at the same time. I am pretty sure there won't be any charge from the PS but should I have to pay the anesthesiologist for this procedure or should the PS eat it since he F-----up in the first place?

I also need some revisions of the same areas. I pretty much knew before my original surgery that I would probably need revisions. My PS explained ahead of time that when you have as much excess skin to remove as I had it is really hard to get it perfect the first time, especially in the pubic area. For now we are just sitting on it to see if some of it is edema. I'm now just over 4 months out and it hasn't changed much but he explained that is the last area to settle down when it comes to the edema. I have an appointment on the 21st so we will be talking about it then. He felt insurance would be covering it since the original procedures were covered by insurance. He explained that there is also the option of doing it in the office with medication for concious sedation. Same kind of meds I had for my breast biopsy. We shall see what he has to say in a few weeks.

So you aren't alone on this one and actually I think it is pretty common to go back for some fine tuning.

pebitpeb · 02-08-2008, 01:58 AM

Thanks for posting, as my ps also advised of the fact that touchups would be needed, over the past couple weeks I have seen my pubic area become what appears to be more puffy, it has caused some alarm and displeasure as it looks like a mini panus that was missed during the proceedure. I know that I better work a bit more on using my patience and wait and see what happens in the future weeks and months ahead. Thanks for posting your experience it brings me back into perspective a bit more.
pebitpeb
Paul