A case of late unilateral hematoma and subsequent late seroma of the breast after bilateral breast augmentation.

BACKGROUND

A previously unreported case of unilateral recurrent late collections, namely, a hematoma and a subsequent seroma, in an otherwise healthy female patient after breast augmentation is presented.

METHODS

A case is reported together with a review of the world literature published and presented regarding late postoperative breast augmentation complications.

RESULTS

The patient was a 49-year-old woman who underwent bilateral breast augmentation in 2006. Spontaneous swelling of the left breast developed 1 year postoperatively. The patient was taken to the operating theater, where a large hematoma was found and drained and the prosthesis reinserted. No cause for the complication was identified at the operation. The patient's symptoms of left-sided breast swelling with discomfort recurred 9 months later. A large seroma was found at surgery but no blood staining. On both occasions, the implant was extracted and examined, with no fault discovered. Capsulectomy was performed, and the pocket was examined, debrided, and cauterized as necessary. On neither occasion was any remarkable pathology found clinically or in laboratory samples sent for analysis. The patient was investigated for any sensitivities or hematologic abnormalities, with no significant results.

CONCLUSION

A previously unreported case of recurrent late postaugmentation collections, namely, a seroma and a subsequent hematoma, in an otherwise well female patient is reported. The authors found no obvious reason for the recurrence in this patient.