Home → Treatment & Side Effects → Planning Your Treatment → Ask-the-Expert Conferences: Treatment Issues → May 2008: After Surgery: Short-term and Long-term Effects → Fluid build-up normal years after surgery?

Fluid build-up normal years after surgery?

Page last modified on: August 20, 2008

Question from Momof2: My friend had a lumpectomy 15 years ago. Recently she has been having fluid in the area where the lump was removed. Her doctor drained the site and removed scar tissue. The fluid returns within days. Is this normal? She is concerned that it fills up again and again. Her mammograms are fine and there is no pain. The doctor says not to be concerned but she is.: Answer —Kristin Brill, M.D., F.A.C.S.: Fluid accumulation or seroma is common immediately after lumpectomy, and can take up to a year or longer to resolve or be absorbed by the body. It's unusual to see fluid accumulate many years after surgery, and sometimes the doctor will drain fluid and even send the fluid for pathology evaluation. If the tissue has been re-excised, she can expect new fluid accumulation due to the recent surgery. Sometimes in this scenario, MRI is helpful to reassure the patient that it's all benign, post-operative changes.

On Wednesday, May 21, 2008, our Ask-the-Expert Online Conference was called After Surgery: Short-term and Long-term Effects. Kristin Brill, M.D., F.A.C.S. and Linda Miller, P.T. answered your questions about short-term and long-term side effects of breast surgery, and what you can do about them.

The materials presented in these conferences do not necessarily reflect the views of breastcancer.org. A qualified healthcare professional should be consulted before using any therapeutic product or regimen discussed. All readers should verify all information and data before employing any therapies described here.

A production of LiveWorld, Inc.
Copyright 2008. All rights reserved.

Email Updates

Stay informed about current research, online events, and more.

Visit our Gift Shop!

Shop Now »

Meet the Experts

Kristin Brill, M.D., F.A.C.S. is a breast surgeon and clinical instructor at the Thomas Jefferson University Department of Surgery in Philadelphia, PA. She also maintains a practice in Cherry Hill, N.J. Dr. Brill is a fellow of the American College of Surgeons. In addition, she has published breast cancer research in medical journals such as Annals of Plastic Surgery and Cancer, and she has presented research at the American Society of Clinical Oncology.

Linda Miller, P.T. is the clinical director of the Breast Cancer Physical Therapy Center, LTD, a private practice serving the Philadelphia, PA and southern New Jersey areas. Linda specializes in treating post-operative complications of breast cancer surgery, including lymphedema.