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Vicryl Sutures After Tummy Tuck - Allergic Reaction?

asked 2 years ago by anon
Latest answer by Richard H. Tholen, MD, FACS
Question viewed 8,954 times
Tags: allergy, stitches

Can an allergy to Vicryl cause little pus blisters below the suture line?

25 answers to Vicryl Sutures After Tummy Tuck - Allergic Reaction?

+1

Vicryl Suture reaction and Abscess formation is expected !!!

Many patients develop strong reaction to Vicryl sutures and develop areas of suture abscess which look like small pimples with puss drainage. the best treatment is to wash them, and keep them clean and not to let them get to moist. Hydrogen peroxide or alcohol can help.
S. Sean Younai, MD

Beverly Hills Plastic Surgeon

www.beautifulself.com

+3

Lots of surgeons believe patients have Vicryl allergy. I believe they are wrong.

Vicryl sutures (made by Ethicon) are made of polyglactin 910, which is a copolymer of 90%glycolide (polyglycolic acid) and 10% L-lactide.These are braided, absorbable sutures that retain 75% of their original strength at 14 days, and 25% at 28 days. Vicryl Plus sutures have an added coating of triclosan, a broad-spectrum antimicrobial. Both absorb by hydrolysis, which causes minimal inflammation at the site of use. (Catgut, by contrast, absorbs by proteolysis, a somewhat more inflammatory... more
Richard H. Tholen, MD, FACS

Minneapolis Plastic Surgeon

www.mpsmn.com

+2

Suture Reaction After Tummy Tuck

Many people do get reactions to some of the dissolvable sutures. Oftentimes the body tries to extrude (spit out) the sutures. Your surgeon can remove any of these nuisance sutures for you.  The areas will quickly rolve and heal well.
Paul C. Zwiebel, MD

Denver Plastic Surgeon
+2

Localized suture reaction

What you are describing, the "little pus blister below the suture line", is commonly referred to as "spitting sutures" or a "stitch abcess". This alone does not indicate a true allergy to Vicryl. If a stitch is coming up to the surface, basically your body is reacting to the presence of a foreign material and trying to get rid of it. This is more common for sutures placed close to the surface of the skin, and certain types of suture material tend to do... more
Anita Patel, MD

Beverly Hills Plastic Surgeon
+1

Vicryl suture reaction after tummy tuck & abdominoplasty

Absolutely! Suture reactions to vicryl is very common and manfests as small suture abscesses. Typically the vast majority of sutures are resorbed by 3 months. see video
Otto Joseph Placik, MD

Chicago Plastic Surgeon
+1

Problems with sutures

Tummy tucks typically involve the use of a number of different sutures including those that dissolve and permanent ones.  Some surgeons have also started using dissolvable staples.  Any time a dissolvable suture is used just below the skin there is a chance some of the stitch might not dissolve completely and become exposed.  Most surgeons refer to this as "spitting."  This process almost never involves an allergic reaction.  The treatment is usually... more
Kelly Gallego, MD

Sioux City Plastic Surgeon

www.drgallego.com

+1

Abdominoplasty sutures

An abdominoplasty contains many sutures.  Spitting of a suture through the skin may not necessarily reflect an allergic reaction, but rather, a normal process of rejection of foreign bodies by the body.  Fortunately, long term outcome is not affected. 
Raffy Karamanoukian, MD

Los Angeles Plastic Surgeon
+1

Vicryl sutures after abdominoplasty (tummy tuck) can cause minor wound problems but not allergies.

Vicryl sutures are removed by the body via an inflammatory reaction.  These "dissolvable" sutures are very useful and have been around for decades.  Occasionally the inflammatory response can create a small sterile abscess around the suture.  It looks like a pimple in the wound.  Your surgeon can retrieve this with a pair of sterile pickups and the small hole will close in a day or so.
Vincent N. Zubowicz, MD

Atlanta Plastic Surgeon
+1

Blisters along the incision after tummy tuck

What you are describing is more likely a not uncommon stitch reaction that causes a small collection of fluid to form around the ends of stitches. The fluid usually causes a small opening in the skin to drain. Once the drainage is complete the small hole usually closes (this can take some time). If the stitch is not completely absorbed the fluid may remain and the small opening may not close for a long time. In some cases the small piece of stitch material needs to be removed. In most... more
Adam Rubinstein, MD

Miami Plastic Surgeon
+1

Suture reaction in tummy tuck

It is rare to have an allergic reaction to Vicryl.  What you are describing is likely "spitting" sutures or a suture abscess.  Vicryl sutures are designed to dissolve over a period of time.  This dissolving process occurs as your body reacts to the suture and walls it off while breaking it down.  If the suture is close to the skin, this process can lead to a suture abscess as bacteria can contaminate the walled off suture.  Removal of the offending... more
Naveen Setty, MD

Plano Plastic Surgeon
+1

Stitch problems after tummy tuck can happen, and can be fixed

An allergy to vicryl is very rare, but it is quite common to have spitting stitches or stitch abscesses after using vicryl (and other types of suture, too, not just vicryl).  The removal of the stitches should fix the problem and improve your wound healing. 
Carmen Kavali, MD

Atlanta Plastic Surgeon
+1

Not a true allergic reaction

Vicryl is a common absorbable suture used to close the deep layers below the skin surface.  It is expected to hold the tension on the deeper layers during the critical first 6 weeks of the healing period to allow less tension on the skin closure and thus a better scar.  Sometimes vicryl sutures as swell as other absorbable sutures work there way to the surface rather than dissolving deeply and can present as inflammation, redness, pain, drainage and localized infection at... more
David J. Levens, MD

Coral Springs Plastic Surgeon

www.drlevens.com

+1

A true allergy to Vicryl sutures is rare.

A true allergy to Vicryl sutures is rare; it is more common to have small "stitch abscesses" from Vicryl and is not uncommon after larger procedures.  Vicryl sutures are normally absorbed/dissolved by your body but sometimes the bulk of suture where the knots are tied is simply too much for your body to absorb and therefore your body tries to eliminate it by "spitting" the stitch out through the skin. Some individuals tend to "spit stitches" more than... more
Richard H. Fryer, MD

Salt Lake City Plastic Surgeon
+1

Vicryl sutures

It is possible to have an allergy to Vicryl sutures, but it is much more common to simply "spit" sutures. Vicryl sutures are a type of synthetic absorbable suture. They consist of a weave of multiple strands of polyglactin suture. The braiding of the suture allows for easy placement of knots and a better "grab" of the tissue to be tied. The suture is broken down over several months by the body. The process by which these absorb is called hydrolysis, an... more
David Bogue, MD

Boca Raton Plastic Surgeon
+1

Optimum healing incision

There are many ways to close an abdominoplasty incision.  Ideally the surgeon chooses the sutures and places them in such a way that the wounds heals without any problem.  On occasion a suture can work it's way though the skin, usually it is not a true allergy. In my practice we use vicryl suture in a deeper layers, in a more superficial layer we use a different type of an absorbing suture that rarely is "spit".
Boris M. Ackerman, MD

Newport Beach Plastic Surgeon
+1

Tummy Tuck. Allergic Reaction vs. "Spitting" Sutures

With a  tummy tuck, many sutures are placed.  Some of these sutures don't quite dissolve, and the body encapsulates them and then tries to get rid of them.  These sutures may be seen to be "spitting" out of the wound.  Vicryl is supposed to be mostly broken down in the body by 6 weeks.  As everyone is different, this may not always be the case. True allergic reactions are rare, but they can happen.  Please see your plastic surgeon for... more
Jeffrey Roth, MD

Las Vegas Plastic Surgeon

www.jjrothmd.com

+1

Vicryl suture reaction

It's possible to have an allergy, but the most common problem seen with braided sutures, like Vicryl, is a little localized infection of normal skin bacteria around the knots that form individual pustules. These are easily treated by your doctor by simple removal.
Randy J. Buckspan, MD

Austin Plastic Surgeon
+1

TRUE Allergic Reaction to stitches are VERY RARE

Stitches are divided into several groups such as : - Dissolving VS. Non-dissolving ("permanent) - Smooth (mono-filament) VS Braided (like ropes) Braided sutures are easier to tie BUT have a higher rate of being pushed out by the body . This happens more frequently the closer the stitches are placed near the surface. Vicryl is a braided dissolving sutures that has many positive attributes but one of its weaknesses it that it tends to "spit" - be pushed out by... more
Peter A. Aldea, MD

Memphis Plastic Surgeon
+1

Allergic reaction to Vicryl sutures after a tummy tuck

Vicryl is a suture that is braided and will eventually absorb. Traditionally, it has been used by general surgeons and is commonly used to close wounds in a deep layer. Unfortunately, when Vicryl is used just under the skin, it is common for it to stimulate an immune response from your body which can look like redness or a mild infection. In actuality, it is your body trying to break down the suture and spit the Vicryl out of your body. This can cause discomfort and concern in patients. For... more
B. Pat Pazmino, MD

Miami Plastic Surgeon

www.miamiaesthetic.com

+1

Undissolved viryl sutures

This occurs in some patients, why I am not quite sure.  I have started using other sutures but most patients have no problem with either suture.  Although it is annoying these pustules that form will "spit" out the suture remnant and resolve.  If several months after they stop spitting you still have some scarring that is unfavorable your plastic surgeon may want to do a minor touch up under local anesthesia - but this is rarely needed.
Steven Schuster, MD

Boca Raton Plastic Surgeon
+1

Vicryl sutures spitting

VIcryl sutures are very common materials to use to close wouns. They usually dissolve on their own.  But, they can "spit" or make their way through the skin and causes little blisters.  They usually heal without significant sequelae.
Steven Wallach, MD

Manhattan Plastic Surgeon
+1

Vicryl Sutures Spitting

Vicryl is a good suture material, but unfortunately it does have a history of " spitting" or becoming infected.  This can manifest itself as a small pustule along the suture line and then the appearance of the suture trying to come through.  Removing the suture cures the problem, and usually does not leave any long term sequelae.  This is more common with vicryl then other absorbable sutures because the vicryl is a braided suture, whereas the others are a smooth... more
Christopher V. Pelletiere, MD

Barrington Plastic Surgeon
+1

Am I allergic to sututres?

I agree this sounds like a stitich "abscess".  It can happen around any type of suture material.  You physician can treat this easily in the office.  When patients have an allergy to suture material, the skin usually becomes very red and itchy and does not have small areas of pus.
Tracy Pfeifer, MD

Manhattan Plastic Surgeon
+1

Vicryl can cause "spitting" in any patient.

Vicryl is broken down by the body and eventually absorbed over the process of six weeks or longer. As this happens, sometimes patients develop "suture abcesses". This is somewhat unpredictable, but when it does occur, it can cause widened, hypertrophic scars in the area. I do not use Vicryl because of the frequency of this type of reaction.
W. Tracy Hankins, MD

Las Vegas Plastic Surgeon
+1

Reaction to Tummy Tuck sutures

Hello, When this happens this is not an allergy really, but the way a person's body processes the suture. These sutures dissolve and as they do some some people's bodies kinda "spit them out." I vary the types of sutures used in these cases especially when I see this. It seems to happen more with Vicryl than other sutures, so I use less Vicryl these days.
John P. Di Saia, MD

Orange Plastic Surgeon

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