Rickiesmom Posted September 20, 2009 Share Posted September 20, 2009 Rickie had surgery on Wednesday to get margins around a hemangioma that the vets, including an oncologist, felt was at risk of infiltrating his chest. He was staged first (everything clear) and the removed tissue has been sent for analysis. He came home Friday with a mass about the size of a walnut in the suture line area. At discharge I was told it was probably a seroma, and to monitor for an increase in size. Size is about the same, but I am wondering what I can do to make it go away. What quick reading I've done suggests these re-absorb on their own, and that alternating warm and cold compresses can help. Has anyone had direct experience with this - it would be comforting to know first-hand, vs. general information in the Internet. Thank you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Batmom Posted September 20, 2009 Share Posted September 20, 2009 Your quick reading is pretty much it. Warm compress may help. Sometimes they take quite awhile to go away, especially if on the lower part of the chest -- it's a gravity thing. My angel Batman had a little booger removed from his chest (behind the elbows), small seroma took a month or three to totally disappear. Quote Star aka Starz Ovation (Ronco x Oneco Maggie*, litter #48538), Coco aka Low Key (Kiowa Mon Manny x Party Hardy, litter # 59881), and mom in IllinoisWe miss Reko Batman (Trouper Zeke x Marque Louisiana), 11/15/95-6/29/06, Rocco the thistledown whippet, 04/29/93-10/14/08, Reko Zema (Mo Kick x Reko Princess), 8/16/98-4/18/10, the most beautiful girl in the whole USA, my good egg Joseph aka Won by a Nose (Oneco Cufflink x Buy Back), 09/22/2003-03/01/2013, and our gentle sweet Gidget (Digitizer, Dodgem by Design x Sobe Mulberry), 1/29/2006-11/22/2014, gone much too soon. Never forgetting CJC's Buckshot, 1/2/07-10/25/10. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RobinM Posted September 20, 2009 Share Posted September 20, 2009 You've had some week. Keep you and your pups in my thoughts and prayers Quote ROBIN ~ Mom to: Beau Think It Aint, Chloe JC Allthewayhome, Teddy ICU Drunk Sailor, Elsie N Fracine , Ollie RG's Travertine, Ponch A's Jupiter~ Yoshi, Zoobie & Belle, the kitties. Waiting at the bridge Angel Polli Bohemian Ocean , Rocky, Blue,Sasha & Zoobie & Bobbi Greyhound Angels Adoption (GAA) The Lexus Project Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest wjamg Posted September 20, 2009 Share Posted September 20, 2009 I just wanted to post that after my girl had her surgery, she was thought to have a seroma..but it was infection that ended up as a quarter size abscess that took three weeks to heal Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Energy11 Posted September 20, 2009 Share Posted September 20, 2009 No experience wiht a Seroma, but hoping it clears up soon! Love and hugs from us! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CaliforniaGreys Posted September 20, 2009 Share Posted September 20, 2009 No experience here either, but many prayers for Ekko's very special friend. Quote Missing my little Misty who took a huge piece of my heart with her on 5/2/09, and Ekko, on 6/28/12 For the sick, the lost, and the homeless Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VinnieAndRexsMom Posted September 20, 2009 Share Posted September 20, 2009 (edited) Welll, with Jake's abdomoinal surgery in July I had lots of experience with several big seromas. First make sure it isn't infection. Our vet wanted me to wrap him with an ace, but b/c the way he's built, the ace kept slipping down over his man parts. What I did was use T-shirts with spandex. I cut out the arms and made tanks out of them. Then I split them up the middle about 1/3 of the way so I could fold it double thickness and then I tied it across his back. The double thickness was over the seroma and kept genmtle pressure on it. Eventually it becan to leak, so I used no stick gauze pads to catch the fluid. I ended up using paper tap and taping it completely around him b/c he was leaking a lot. When he had several seromas, I took one of my spandex tanks. split it completely up the back, and then I cut straps all along his back. I ties him up like a gusset on the back of a dress. I could loosen or tighten, depending where the seromas were that day and wher i needed the pressure. On both designs, I had to run a tie strap of material through the tank straps on top of the shoulders, or tthe would slip. Jake spend two weeks in these get-ups, but they worked Edited September 20, 2009 by VinnieAndRexsMom Quote Tonya, mom to May, and my angels Vinnie, Rex, Red, Chase, and Jake. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rickiesmom Posted September 20, 2009 Author Share Posted September 20, 2009 Tonya what you say makes sense - the tech mentioned to me that they had had him in some sort of high tech bandage to manage swelling, so perhaps this developed when that was removed. I'm going to try compresses for now as it isn't very big, and then depending on what happens, perhaps take him in for a quick check on Monday. It doesn't seem to be bothering him, though he's on enough Tramadol right now that not much would. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CaliforniaGreys Posted September 20, 2009 Share Posted September 20, 2009 Checking in to see how Rickie is this am Quote Missing my little Misty who took a huge piece of my heart with her on 5/2/09, and Ekko, on 6/28/12 For the sick, the lost, and the homeless Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rickiesmom Posted September 20, 2009 Author Share Posted September 20, 2009 Overall there is less redness and puffiness this morning, which is so great to see. We are following instructions re. confinement and minimal exercise, hopefully things will stay this way. He seemed to have a pretty good night - didn't move around as much as the night before. He does have the odd period where pain seems to break through. I am going to call the hospital to see if we can add / adjust his pain meds. It isn't often, and probably happens because the suture line is in an area that tends to move whenever he does. I don't want to have to take him in - think the stress of going down there, and difficulty getting him in and out of the car without hurt would be counter-productive, unless the problem escalates. Otherwise, if they won't adjust over the phone today, I'll call the surgeon tomorrow. We've got a safe and comfy setup for him and are keeping the environment very quiet so he rests - believe this is what he needs most right now. I will start giving him Traumeel. Breakfast is next on the agenda, so I can't speak for today, but so far he's eaten a sufficient part of each meal, and because he gets Tramadol every 8h, he gets snacks in between (cheese and some of Jaynie's meatballs). Not so interested in chew-treats - maybe too much work and focus required vs. the Tramadol. All in all, except for the pain issue, he definitely looks better today. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CaliforniaGreys Posted September 20, 2009 Share Posted September 20, 2009 I'm so glad to hear he's looking better. Keep it up Rickie! Quote Missing my little Misty who took a huge piece of my heart with her on 5/2/09, and Ekko, on 6/28/12 For the sick, the lost, and the homeless Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest wdlndgreasil Posted September 21, 2009 Share Posted September 21, 2009 Well, the body can absorb it over time so it would go away on its own. Sometimes it has to be drained to get rid of the fluid. My recommendation would to let it be but monitor it for signs that it may have become infected - change in color, bad odor, etc. and then revisit the vet if needed. Sounds like he's doing ok overall which is most important! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CaliforniaGreys Posted September 21, 2009 Share Posted September 21, 2009 Checking in on Rickie this am Quote Missing my little Misty who took a huge piece of my heart with her on 5/2/09, and Ekko, on 6/28/12 For the sick, the lost, and the homeless Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rickiesmom Posted September 21, 2009 Author Share Posted September 21, 2009 (edited) Rickie is doing well - the bruising is fading a little every day, and the seroma, while still there, is no larger. The strange thing is, it's above the suture line, not below where one might expect it to be. As long as nothing starts to look worse / bigger, I am going to let things be. We have a recheck in a bit over a week. Edited September 21, 2009 by Rickiesmom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CaliforniaGreys Posted September 21, 2009 Share Posted September 21, 2009 Excellent! Quote Missing my little Misty who took a huge piece of my heart with her on 5/2/09, and Ekko, on 6/28/12 For the sick, the lost, and the homeless Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VinnieAndRexsMom Posted September 22, 2009 Share Posted September 22, 2009 (edited) Good news Jake had a seroma above the incision, one up under his chest, one back by his business, and one up on his ribcage on his right side. He had them all at the same time The only leaky one was the one under the incision, and it relocated itself at least twice. That's why I had to lace him up Edited September 22, 2009 by VinnieAndRexsMom Quote Tonya, mom to May, and my angels Vinnie, Rex, Red, Chase, and Jake. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest FullMetalFrank Posted September 22, 2009 Share Posted September 22, 2009 I had one after my hysterectomy, adjacent to my incision; it eventually turned into an abscess that burst and got me a trip to the ER while we were on a camping trip. From there, it was agonizingly slow to heal; over two months.Two courses of Keflex didn't seem to do anything to make it heal faster. I finally got some manuka honey and started applying that, and within a few days the wound finally closed and has stayed closed now for almost two weeks, the seroma/abscess is finally gone! Hopefully your grey's seroma will be resorbed by the body and not turn into anything nasty; sending healing thoughts! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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