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Permanent and Visible Sutures for Tummy Tuck: Normal?
Do doctors usually use permanent and visible sutures under the skin for a Tummy Tuck?
Asked 39 months ago by
EliseC in Costa Rica
+7
Both permanent and temporary sutures
Most plastic surgeons will use a combination of permanent sutures for the repair of the fascia. Sewing the deep layer together with heavier absorbable (self-dissolving) sutures.
The deep fascial sutures are very rarely palpable, even in our patients with very low percentage body fat.
Often, sutures work their way to the surface "spit" and need to be removed, even if they are self-dissolving sutures. No sutures should be visible after all healing is complete.
Most surgeons use...
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+4
Yes permanent and absorbable sutures are used in Tummy Tucks
There are a variety of options available for wound closure.
However, there is one general trend. Most surgeons use permanent sutures for the muscle repair.
You must understand that permanent sutures don't always assure a permanent result of effect. Let me explain with an analogy.
IF you graft two tree limbs together, duct tape (= permanent suture) is commonly used to hold them together unitl they heal. Once they heal, the tape (suture) can be removed.
In performing a muslce repair, we...
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+4
Permanent Suture
An abdominoplasty has three parts:
Tightening the muscle
Removing the skin and fat
Contouring the skin envelope by the closure
In my practice (as is typical for most board certified plastic surgery practices), permanent suture is used to tighten the muscle (the rectus plication). These sutures are typically covered by the tissue overlaying the muscle.
A surgeon may also use permanent sutures that are remove to secure the drains - obviously, when the drains come out so should the suture...
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+4
Go for the scar revision.
Elise,
It is very unusual to use permanent sutures directly under the skin along the incision (scar)line, but it sounds like that's what you've got. The sutures seem to be causing you irritation, as well. You should probably check with your surgeon to find out what type of sutures are in place. If they are permanent, then you should have the entire scar excised along with the sutures. Good luck.
+4
Sutures too close to the surface
The best new techniques in tummy tuck surgery, demonstrated by Dr. Ted Lockwood, utilize permanent sutures at the fascial level to take tension off the skin, so it can heal without wide, unsightly scars.
The fascial level in most patients is midway between the skin and the muscle. This is usually enough distance from the suture to the skin so that these sutures are not visible or palpable.
In a small group of patients, there is so little fat within the abdominal skin that the sutures will be...
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+4
Yes doctors sometime use permanent sutures, but only in the deep tissues
During a tummy tuck or abdominoplasty surgeons often use permanent sutures in the deep tissues to repair the rectus fascia. These are not seen through the skin. Absorbable sutures are more commonly used in the superficial tissues. Occasionally, these absorbable sutures have a purple hue to them that can be seen through the skin. However, over approximately six to eight weeks, the sutures should absorb and the color should go away. Rarely, some surgeons will put some permanent sutures on...
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+3
When Knots are Not Appropriate
Abdominoplasty or Tummy Tuck typically involves the tightening of the rectus abdominis muscles, which become separated or splayed apart and weakened by pregnancy. Usually, the muscle repair is done using permanent (non-absorbable, i.e. not dissolved by your body) sutures, which may be made of monofilament nylon, polypropylene, or braided polyester.
The muscle repair technique can involve a single, running layer of suture; alternatively, it may involve multiple "interrupted"...
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+3
Permanent sutures are used inside to hold the muscle in place
Normally, permanent sutures are only used inside to hold the muscle in place. Generally, skin sutures are dissolveable. Though some doctors will apply permanent skin sutures that will be removed ten days to two weeks after surgery. Most doctors now use the newer dissolvable sutures that are quite strong that will dissolve in about three months.
+3
Permanent sutures are common but they should not be visible.
You must be thin. What can happen is: permanent deep stitches are used to bring the rectus muscles together, and if you have very little fat covering the muscles, then the stitches can be felt and even seen.
There is no easy solution for this. If it isn't too bad, I would live with it. Otherwise, the sutures have to be removed which is essentially another tummy tuck.
+2
Permanent sutures are often used for muscle plication
Both permanent and absorbable sutures are used in most abdominoplasty procedures. Permanent (but not visible) sutures are often used to tighten the muscles. It is variable what type of suture is used on the skin. If permanent sutures are used on the skin they are usually removed by one week.
+2
Abdominoplasty Tummy Tuck Sutures are Absorbable and Non-absorbable
A tummy tuck procedure utilizes both absorbable sutures for the suture line and non-absorbable sutures for the midline abdominal muscle tightening. The type of suture and more importantly, the method of suturing, is critical to acheiving excellent results.
One of the most crucial factors in the long term outcome depends on the sutures used to reapproximate a very important fascial layer known as Scarpa's fascia. If this is not performed, the incision may splay apart and become depressed....
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Los Angeles Plastic Surgeon
+1
Sutures used for tummy tuck
Usually, permanet or semi-permanent sutures are used to tighten muscles. However, these sutures are NOT visible. When we close skin, this is done with non-permanent, dissolvable sutures that are clear, again NOT visible.
+1
Which Sutures are used in Tummy Tuck Surgery
Every Plastic surgeon has definitive opinions on this topic. since you asked, I will share mine with you.
In general, sutures in surgery can be divided into PERMANENT (Silk, Cotton, Prolene, Tevdek, Dacron, Ethibond etc etc) and DISSOLVING - either short lasting, or longer lasting (Gut, chromic gut, Vicryl, Monocryl, PDS etc).
We usually use dissolving sutures when we want things splinted for a short time together BUT are confident that the scar would COMPETENTLY hold things in place after...
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+1
Sutures in Tummy Tuck
The sutures in muscle repair are permanent sutures. You will not see or feel them.
The deep fascia of the skin, the lower layer of the skin (DERMIS) and the skin are all closed with absorbable sutures.
Skin is sutured as subcuticular ie the suture is under the skin not on top of the skin.it can be a permanent suture but it has to be removed and I emphasise it should be under the skin so that it leaves no marks (RAIL ROAD TRACK MARKS).
if the person has very thin skin the color of the suture...
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+1
Tummy tuck and sutures
Some surgeons use permanent as well as absorbable suturs for a tummy tuck. For the tightening of the abdominal fascia I usually use a permanent non-absorbable suture. For the skin and subcutaneous tissue, I usually use absorbable sutures. But, like any chef, we all do it differently.
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