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Will Liposuction Correct Broken Tummy Tuck Sutures?

I had a Tummy Tuck 3 months ago, and the upper abdominal suture tore, leaving a lump on my upper stomach. Although I'm doing everything my doctor told me, should I consider having a second surgery to correct the problem? My doctor suggested Liposuction to reduce the appearance of the bulge, but I don't think that will solve the problem and I'm afraid I will pay the consequences if I don't make the right decision.

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18 Doctor Answers | Asked by worried in PR in Puerto Rico

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No revision surgery for a minimum of 6 months

I would recommend waiting at least 6 months before considering proceeding with any revisions. This will give adequate time for everything to settle down, and then you can assess exactly what the issue is. Most likely, the bulge is not due to excess fat but rather loosening of the muscles that were tightened during the initial operation. This can usually be seen on an exam, and if that's the case, retightening the muscle would give the best long term result. The downside, however, is that... more

Definitely don't do liposuction

Hi PR. I wanted to say that Dr. Goldstein's answer to your question is important to consider. There are many causes for bulging in the upper abdomen after a tummy-tuck. It might be because the upper abdominal tissue was not cinched together tightly and the lower abdominal tissue was cinched more tightly together. This is well known to cause a bulge in the upper abdomen. In your case, you mention that a suture broke. This is a very rare occurrence and only you and your plastic surgeon know... more

Correcting an Upper Tummy Bulge from a Broken Suture

Different scenarios can result in an upper Tummy BULGE AFTER a Tummy Tuck (Abdominoplasty). Such bulges have to be divided into several groups: - Bulge Present BOTH Before and After Tummy Tuck- Bulge present IMMEDIATELY After Surgery- Bulge appears LATER After Surgery IF your tummy was flat after surgery and after lifting or other event (we had a patient who in a Tae Bo class was kicked in the upper stomach), you felt a snap and began noticing a bulge, then several processes may be... more

If the bulge is due to excess fat then Liposuction may help.

It is unlikely that you will be improved by liposuction of the upper abdomen following a tear of the plication suture(s). If there is a bulge that is fatty in nature, then it may be somewhat improved, but again this is an unlikely scenario.

No urgency

Worried, It is relatively early in your recovery from surgery. I would wait at least 6 months and during that time get back to your normal daily routines, work activities and exercise regimens. You can then see how the muscles redistribute their activity. I have seen such bulging from presumed ruptured sutures flatten over time. Although it may not completely resolve, it may improve to the point that a little touch up liposuction may be all that you need, if anything at all. Good luck!... more

Liposuction won't fix a suture.

Hello, While lipo can reduce the appearance of a "lump" if that lump is fatty, it cannot fix a muscular repair breakdown problem. It may make it less appreciable however. Maybe that is what your surgeon aims to do. Tummy tuck muscular repair breakdown is very rare in my patients. Maybe your repair stretched? Best Regards, John Di Saia MD Board-certified Plastic Surgeon

Surgery may be necessary, but liposuction is not the way to go

If the suture in the upper part of your tummy tuck ruptured, liposuction is not the answer. A small fullness above the belly button is not abnormal after an abdominoplasty. You cannot liposuction that area during the original surgery, so the area may be a little thick. When a suture breaks, the fascia or covering over the muscle becomes loose. This bulge will not go away unless you re-explore the area and repair the lax muscle. Liposuction alone may thin the area, but not improve the... more

Yes, you need surgery

It sounds like the buldge above your belly button is from the suture that repaired your muscles tearing. This means that your abdominal muscles are no longer held together tightly in the middle, creating the appearance of a buldge. This can only be corrected with surgery. Liposuction can be an adjunct to this procedure to remove excess fat, but will not fix the cause of the problem. Kari L. Colen, MD, NYC Plastic Surgeon, colenmd.com

The real cause of the bulge is important to know to determine if additional liposuction would help.

There are several reasons why you may have a bulge in the upper abdominal area following a tummy tuck procedure. For example, the bulge may be due to excessive upper abdominal skin which was not adequately pulled and transferred inferiorly at the time of your initial surgery. It could possibly be due to excessive fat which sometimes can give the appearance of a bulge in the upper abdomen (this certainly is amenable to additional liposuction). Ruptured sutures that were used to tighten and... more

You should probably have surgery again.

This is a good question. Very rarely after abdominoplasty (tummy tuck) the deep sutures break and need to be replaced. I see this in my practice in patients who went out of the country for surgery and then return back to New York with problems. We are then stuck in a situation where the patient had a surgery somewhere else that now needs to be fixed. From what you describe, I do not think that you need liposuction. If the sutures truly did break or loosen, then you need to have them... more

Your busted suture is the return of a Diastasis Recti - Fix the problem

It sounds like you are describing the tearing of a suture to repair a diastasis recti. Diastasis recti is a problem of the abdomenal wall muscles that typically occurs after childbirth, whereby the space between the muscles in the midline spreads apart causing a bulge and loss of your hourglass shape. During a tummy tuck, your plastic surgeon eliminates the space by placing sutures that pull the muscle together from either side of the separation. The result is a flatter, tighter abdomen with... more

Liposuction doesn't do anything to help bulging of the abdominal muscles.

Liposuction doesn't do anything to help bulging of the abdominal muscles. If the sutures pulled through and you have bulging then the only answer is to re-do the muscle sutures.

Tummy Tuck sutures

If the muscle sutures are ripped, then your muscles have seperated again to cause the bulge. The only logical way to repair it is to redo the surgery and resuture the muscles. Itis a big surgery. If you have too much fat in the upper abdomen then lipo may be a temporary solution but not complete. Here instead of opening the ENTIRE abdominoplasty incision and go all the way up, I may cnsider opening the belly button incision and do an endoscopic assisted repair of the muscles. This surgery... more

Broken Tummy Tuck Sutures

If the sutures broke, then the only treatment to restore the contour to your abdomen is another surgery but don't rush. Allow further healing (at least 6-9 months).

Liposuction will not help torn diastasis repair.

Hi. If the stitches repairing the separation of your rectus muscles tore, that's what's causing the bulge. Liposuction is not going to help. I am afraid that you need another tummy tuck.

Need to diagnose the upper abdominal bulge first

You should get an ultrasound or CT scan or MRI to diagnose whether the bulge is from fluid, fat or muscle laxity. Each has a totally different treatment. If it is muscle laxity and if you are not heavy in the upper abdomen, the only way to fix it is to redo the tummy tuck at 4-6 months after the original surgery. There is no point in doing that if your weight is up or if you have a chronic cough or cannot completely refrain from abdominal straining exerceise for 8 weeks after surgery.... more

Depends upon the lump

If the lump is from the upper plication sutures that tore, then replication is required. If it is just some fat that is part of the upper flap then liposuction can help the area.

Steven Wallach, MD

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Manhattan Plastic Surgeon

If It's Broke, Fix It!

A bulge in the upper abdomen after Abdominoplasty, which appears days or weeks after the surgery, probably indicates a disruption of the muscle repair. The sutures repairing your diastasis recti could have torn through the muscle fascia (most likely), or could have come untied (less likely). Typically, a portion of the repair "un-zips" itself, and although this is not a true hernia, it creates the appearance of abnormal bulging, especially when you do a sit-up, or otherwise tighten the... more