Did I Damage the Sutures or my Muscles After Having Tummy Tuck? Will It Heal on Its Own or Will I Need Another Surgery?

I had TT surg. 1 month & 1 week ago. On Wed. I used the palms of my hands & a little hop/jump motion to reach a sitting platform (sort of like doing a dip in the up part). I felt a sharp pain (almost like a barbed wire) simultaneously go through the left & right side of my upper abdomen at an angle (upward angle) until it reached the vertical line that runs straight down the center of the abdomen. Since Wed. I have had pain, throbbing, & spasms in the same areas I felt the barbed wire effect.

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1 month post-op sutures

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3 Doctor Answers | Asked by michellebond11 in CA

Doctor Answers (3)
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Damage to tummy tuck

It may be difficult to say. I have not had a patient damage the muscle repair part of the tummy tuck. I would imagine you have significant pain before doing actual damage. If you are still having pain, however, I would tell your surgeon and plan on being seen since an examination could be helpful to decide if there has been a problem or if something else is responsible for the pain. Sorry to hear you are having problems, good luck.

Ralph R. Garramone, MD

7 reviews

Fort Myers Plastic Surgeon

Damage to Tummy Tuck Muscle Repair?

I'm sorry to hear about your “trauma” after tummy tuck surgery. Usually, it takes significant “effort” to damage the muscle repair that was done at the time of tummy tuck surgery. If significant damage was done, this will often be detectable on physical examination. I would suggest that you follow-up with your plastic surgeon who may be able to detect abdominal wall “bulging” if separation of the muscle plication has occurred. Again, this... more

Potential Damage to Tummy Tuck Muscle Repair

Short of your having a MRI there is no telling if your muscle repair was damaged. The likelihood of that happening would depend on the strength of your tissues, the sutures used, how they were used and in how many years as well as the amount of sudden stretch applied to the repair. Ultimately, when the swelling subsides you may ind ifvthevrepair failed. At this point there is not much that can be done except to wait or get a MRI, get a diagnosis and wait.