This fluid will not clot and contains albumin, fat and red blood cells. It is clear and yellow in color. A seroma is usually noticed about 7-10 days after surgery and a few days after drains are removed. It is seen as a swelling in the area undermined at surgery. It is more common in the lower abdomen than the upper.
Patients often say they can feel fluid under the skin.
When they move it is not uncommon to feel this fluid move as well. The initial treatment is to remove the fluid with a needle. Often 150 ml of fluid is removed each time. This is done once or twice a week and within a month the fluid has usually absorbed. A pressure dressing is usually applied a at the same time to reduce the size of the space under the skin and increase the likelihood of the pocket closing.