Hi Barbara - I had a lumpectomy and total axilliary removal 3 yrs ago. My surgeon said he had to be brutal in getting all the lymph nodes out and left a big hole at the back of the armpit which filled with fluid - a seroma. I went to the hospital almost every other day for 3-4 weeks to have it drained - it was very painful and the relief was instant when they aspirated it. At first they would get a half a litre, but the amount gradually reduced to nothing.
I didn't get any infection and all is okay now.Hang in there - it will gradually disperse into the body. Take care, Liz.
Dear barbara1024, This is not a common occurrence after mastectomy however it does happen. How to manage this problem beyond what you have been doing with pressure and the intermittent drainage would best be discussed with your surgeon. The goal is that eventually the fluid will stop accumulating (this varies from individual to individual), as well as prevention of infection. In the meantime, you want to keep the skin clean and dry, as well as, letting your surgeon know of any signs of infection (redness, pain, fever).
In my case I had a buildup of fluid also but my surgeon opted to put in another drain ...... he was against draining it over and over. His theory was that the more times you stick a needle in the area the more you are risking infection. I believe this second drain was removed after 14 days. I believe this happens more often than not.
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