Suture And/or Infections Along Tummy Tuck Scar 4 Years After Surgery? (photo)

My tummy tuck 4 years ago, 5mo later a monofilament suture protruded & was snipped off. 6mo ago, I started having blisters erupt around the scar and a couple of them started draining. The drainage stopped after 3 rounds of antibiotics but the spots are very painful. An MRI showed no foreign bodies.My Dr is proposing a 6mo course of antibiotics but I have some adverse reactions to the antibiotics. The areas feel similar to just before the monofiliment suture protruded thru my skin 3.5 years ago.

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2 Doctor Answers | Asked by KyleAndMichiko

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Suture And/or Infections Along Tummy Tuck Scar 4 Years After Surgery

I think I am looking at two separate sites. I would consider removing the two sutures under some local anesthesia sooner that a prolongued course of antibiotics. Infected foreign material (as in permanent sutures) are nototiously difficult to control unless the material is removed. If these continue in other areas, re-opening the entire incision to remove all the permanent suture that is left would me my recommendation. This sounds like an ordeal, but is less so... more

This process is call suture extrusion (spitting sutures)

Hello, Your body has decided to "spit" the sutures used to close your tummy tuck. It sounds like you have permanent sutures as opposed to absorbable sutures. Its hard to know what the body needs to stop doing this. Antibiotics can help occasionally but there are some negatives to too many antibiotics. The other option is to go back in and removed the sutures. This can be done under local anesthesia and closing the incision can be performed with smaller... more