How do you treat a seroma at home?

Take over-the-counter pain medication for any discomfort or inflammation. If a seroma or seromas do develop, you can apply heat to the area for 15 minutes every few hours. This can help the seroma drain and ease discomfort. If the seroma does not go away on its own, your doctor can drain it or surgically remove it.

How long does it take for a seroma to go away?

Most seromas are reabsorbed back into your body in about a month, but in some cases it can take up to a year. If the area becomes painful or the seroma doesn’t improve, your doctor can drain the seroma.

How do you speed up seroma reabsorption?

Increasing the circulation to the healing area will often help to reduce the swelling. The fluid will be reabsorbed into the blood stream faster and the increased blood flow will bring oxygen and nutrients to the newly forming tissue. Heat is an excellent way to increase circulation to an area.

Can a large seroma go away on its own?

The seroma may go away on its own within a few weeks or months. Your body slowly absorbs the fluid. No medicine will make it go away faster. But if you have a large seroma or if it’s causing pain, your healthcare provider may drain it.

Does massaging a seroma help?

Patients are recommended to wear compression garments for at least 2 weeks after surgery and to massage the area gently to help move the fluid out. It is important to keep the wound clean to keep out bacteria and other germs.

What happens if seroma is left untreated?

Small seromas often regress into the body on their own; those that remain can be aspirated using a needle and syringe. If a seroma persists, surgical removal may be considered. Large, untreated seromas pose an increased risk of infection, and they may develop a fibrous capsule, complicating drainage.

Can I drain my own seroma?

Manual lymphatic drainage is the most recommended treatment by surgeons to prevent and drain seromas without a medical intervention. Most importantly, you can start the MLD sessions right after your surgery. All the fluid inside the seroma will be drained manually and evacuated by your lymphatic system.

How long does it take for a seroma to reabsorb?

How to Treat a Seroma? Many seromas do not need treatment. Often the body will reabsorb the fluid. This usually takes about a month but can take as long as a year.

How do you know if a seroma is infected?

Symptoms of a seroma include swelling at or near a surgical site and leakage of clear fluid through the incision. The area may or may not be painful. If infection develops, additional symptoms can include leakage of pus, redness, warmth or swelling, tenderness, or fever and chills.

Should you squeeze a seroma?

Clinical treatment of seromas is usually performed by repeated evacuation by means of suction using an appropriately sized syringe (usually 10-50 mL in volume) according to the amount of fluid to be evacuated [2].

When should you have a seroma drained?

Some seromas get better on their own. But when there is a lot of fluid under the skin, a seroma is drained to help the area heal. If your incision has opened up, it may either be packed with gauze or left open to heal. To prevent infection, make sure to keep the area clean and to take all medicines as prescribed.