Hi,
First, sorry for the long post but I want to explain all the details.
I'm a 44 y.o. male, weight about 390 lbs (179 kg). Two months ago I had a tummy tuck surgery combined with hernia. The tummy tuck removed about 16 kg (35 lbs) mass from me. It was a pretty big cut - about 5 feet total length (1.60 m), from left to right and back.
I had 2 drains for about 3 weeks which keep excreting each day about 300 ml of liquid total, with no sign of reduction. Although the amount of liquid was still big, the surgeon removed the drains because he said they'd stayed for too long and my skin where drains got in was sore already. I've asked what about about those about 300 ml daily and he said they will re-absorb in time.
Still worried, 3 days after the drain removal I decided to get a CT Scan. It showed about 915 ml of liquid collected in the lower tummy area, above the big cut. Check this - 3 days x 300 ml 900 ml. Clearly the liquid which used to go though the drains before, now, after their removal, was collecting inside having nowhere else to go. The area size was 22 cm wide x 10 cm high x 6 cm deep (1 cm 0.4 inches). I also checked on an ultrasound which confirmed the findings. Since then I'm actually checking on ultrasound every few days - it's easy for me because my mother is a doctor and has her own ultrasound device.
Ever since then - a month now, the area is still the same size. Not growing. No pain, no wave-like feeling, no redness, not even a swelling. Perhaps only the tummy feels a bit harder there.
I immediately talked to my surgeon and he said I should not worry and that it will re-absorb. He has a lot of experience and is one of the best surgeons in the area. He had performed this operation for decades and had many obese patients. However other surgeons, less experienced, disagreed and said it was too big and it had to be drained or pulled with a syringe.
After 3 weeks my surgeon eventually agreed to see it on an Ultrasound which changed his mind. He said he would put new drains under ultrasound supervision. He inserted a drain tube inside the liquid area but found no liquid at all although he checked carefully. He said there would be some liquid coming out if there was any. He left part of the tube for in for a whole day but nothing came out at all.
Then he tried with another instrument (looked like a stick with gauze on top) - he moved it each direction but when taking it out the gauze had nothing on it (just a bit of small blood traces). On the ultrasound (it was done under ultrasound supervision) it was visible he was entering INSIDE the liquid area. He said that means there's no liquid there and he has no idea what the Ultrasound was showing. Even if there's there was a seroma, it would re-absorb, he said. He said just to forget about it and call him only if there's some pain, redness, etc.
I trust him but I'm still worried because the Ultrasound keeps showing that liquid mass there, exactly where the CT Scan discovered it originally and the same size as on the scanner. The density seems to change though - still liquid but more like jelly now. Could be hardening? The ultrasound cannot indicate for sure.
My mother guesses (like I said she's a doctor too) it's either turning into a solid mass or it's forming a bursa/capsule - that's the only explanation why the surgeon could not extract any liquid. I wanted to check again on CT Scan whether there's a capsule or density change but they refused because it was too soon therefore a radiation risk for me.
Now, 2 months after surgery and 1 month after discovery, the mass is still there (formerly liquid, now either liquid or jelly, cannot tell without scan). No symptoms - no pain, no swelling, no redness, only the tummy is a LITTLE BIT harder there compared to surrounding area.
I'm attaching the CT scan image and the Ultrasound one.
What should I do? Any ideas?
Regards and thanks.