Postoperative issues after a tummy tuck

Sean A. Simon, MD answers: Bloated lower belly and sutures popping after Tummy tuck

I had a tummy tuck with muscle repair 9 weeks ago. During the surgery my abdominal hernia was also fixed. My lower abdomen feels tight and looks round and bloated. Also, I have several sutures that are poking out of the muscle under the skin. You can see and feel them.

My general surgeon said she used sutures that will dissolve in time. Why are they popping through? She suggested that the bloating feeling is due to the weakness in the muscles and that my insides were pushing against the muscle and skin giving me the tight, bloated feeling. She also said that exercise would help this. I would like another opinion about these two issues. Thank you.

Sean A. Simon, MD
11 months ago

There is certainly no substitute than a honest discussion of the issues you have with your plastic surgeon. Your questions and concerns should be addressed so that you can understand what to expect regarding the postoperative healing process. In general terms: sutures that pop or spit through the skin can occur after any type of surgery whether or not they are of the dissolvable variety. This is an issue is typically self limited and the sutures that are coming through can be easily removed.

Healing after a tummy tuck, which usually involves some liposuction as well, can take weeks to months, so patience is certainly important as well as the understanding that it may be 4-6 months before you see the true result of the surgery. As far as the bloated / tight feeling, a postoperative seroma (fluid collection) under the skin can potentially cause this and would typically be evaluated by the plastic surgeon in one of the follow up examinations. If present, it may require drainage in the office, again something to be discussed with the operating surgeon. Good luck.

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