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1 Year Post Op and Having Problems with Permanent Stitches Around my Areola and Pus Like Substance? (photo)

I am 1 yr post op. At first I was told were some spitting stitches. But what started as just one, slowly became 3 all around my aerola. One completely healed up a few months ago, but at the moment I have 3 sore spots (1 in my actual aerola) that fill with pus. When I clean the pus up I can see what my surgeon said is a permanent stitch (white tape like stitch, to stop the aerola from spreading). I have tried 3 wks of anti-biotics to get rid of the infection but it hasn't worked. What's going on?

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13 Doctor Answers | Asked by st92

Doctor Answers (13)
Community Comments (1)

Problems with Permanent Stitches Around my Areola

At this late stage, these will continue to be problems until they are removed. Antibiotics rarely are successful in eliminated infected foreign material. It looks to me that they haven't controlled the size of the areola anyway. Your surgeon should be able to remove the sutures in the office under local anesthesia. Sorry for the problems you have experienced. Best wishes.

Post Operative Infection of Suture

Your pictures are very helpful. It appears that you have multiple suture abscesses. The treatment for this problem is to have them removed. This will remove the foreign body, your suture, from the wound and allow for your body to fight off the localized infection. It would be rare that such an infection has to be treated with antibiotics. If you do not remove the suture, the bacteria will have a place to "hide" from any attempts by your body to eradicate the infection. This will also hamper... more

1 Year Post Op and Having Problems with Permanent Stitches Around my Areola and Pus Like Substance?

Thanks for photos. Best to have the suture removed under local anesthesia. This will allow full healing in those areas.

Infected permanent sutures

This is typical of an infected permanent suture that needs to be removed. It should not be repaired until after your body has had time to resolve the infection without the foreign material in place (several months at least).

Suture Problem After Lift

This is the unfortunate problem that can occur with this technique and the type of suture used. Being that you are one year out this is likely a problem that will not resolve on it's own. My recommendation would be to return to your surgeon and see if they feel a good option would be to remove the suture to help cure the problem. Best of luck to you!

Permanent sutures to maintain areolar size

If your permanent sutures are infected, they should be removed and the area cleaned out. The areola may need revision.

Periareolar suture and drainage

If you see the stitch and there is drainage, then this will not go away compeltley withou remvoving the stitch. It is doubtful that at a year the areoal will stretch further. It can always be revised in a few months if it does so, but I think the suture needs to be removed. Good luck.

Steven Wallach, MD

12 reviews

Manhattan Plastic Surgeon

Problem can and should be fixed surgically

Hello, Thank you for the photo. I would recommend removal of both sutures and waiting until the infection has gone away completely. At that time you may choose to undergo a revision areolaplasty where another permanent suture is placed to reduce the areola size and keep the incision thin. Although there is a theoretical chance of infection we use permanent products, including implants, all the time with very low chances of infection. If you do undergo another... more

Removal of permanent stitch

Since you are one year out that stitch is not helping with the lift and areolar reduction at all. The milk ducts have bacteria in them, as does the skin. These are contributing to the prbolems with the suture, as it is just below the skin. I would definitely recommend seeing your plastic surgeon about having the stitches removed.

Spitting sutures

Your sutures are spitting because they are acting like a wick for bacteria. They need to be removed to avoid a serious infection. This is a small procedure, so don't stress about it. I would not recommend antibiotics alone, as the foreign material must be removed in order to heal. sek

You need to see your surgeon to remove the stitches

The concept of the permanent material to prevent the spreading of the areola is well accepted by the plastic surgeons,but it has the down side of infection and spitting. You need to see your surgeon to remove them.

Kamran Khoobehi, MD

28 reviews

New Orleans Plastic Surgeon

Suture problem after lift

Thanks for the good picture. The permanent suture you had placed did not work from your picture as your areola is very wide. The suture some times breaks or get infected and needs to be removed. At this point your doctor should have a plan for you which is probably to remove the suture and scar tissue and place a new suture in virgin tissue to reduce the chances of recurrent infection. Good Luck!

Problems with Permanent Stitches Around Areola?

Thank you for the question and pictures. I'm sorry to hear about the difficulty you have had with the permanent stitch around the areola. This problem is one of the downsides associated with this technique/suture. At this point, I would suggest that you return to your plastic surgeon for guidance. It is very likely, that removal of the suture altogether will be necessary to improve your situation. Hopefully, given that you are one year out of your surgery, you will not experience... more

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Comments (1)

st92 1 Sep 2012

Thankyou for your reply. A huge problem I have is he money though. If I go back to my surgeon will this count as aftercare and be done without charge?? I went to a different hospital and received a quote of £2000 which is absolutely ridiculous considering this is not another procedure I want to have!

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