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Can Sneezing Without Tummy Tuck Binder Ruin Results?

I sneezed without the binder on two different occasions, for bandage re-dressing and shower. I'm afraid I busted a stitch. Can you bust a stitch from a sneeze? What would it have felt like? How long would the pain have lasted? The sneeze hurt, but only for a few seconds then I was fine. My doctor said that if I busted a stitch, the Tummy Tuck will be totally ruined and I will need a whole new tummy tuck. Now I'm freaking out, my procedure wasn’t bad, but I sure as heck don’t want to do it again.

Asked 34 months ago by ferrellgirl in Kansas City, MO
Sort 4 expert answers by:
+2

No, this would be very unusual

Hi, It would be very unusual for you to tear an abdominal stitch after sneezing. In general, these are very strong stitches which require a significant load on the abdomen, such as during very heavy lifting in the first few weeks after surgery, in order to break. If you did break a stitch, you would have a lot of pain which would not resolve quickly. Mild abdominal discomfort with sneezing immediately after a tummy tuck is not unusual. I would advise you to keep seeing your plastic... more
Nina S. Naidu, MD
New York Plastic Surgeon
+2

Unlikely but possible

A suture can be torn with stress from sneezing , coughing, exertion ion general. Patients usually can tell when this happens. Th4ey report a taering sensation and extreme pain that is not short lived. Subtle taers can occur but might not be evident at all or can manifest several weeks or months after the procedure was perfromed.
Michael S. Beckenstein, MD
Birmingham Plastic Surgeon
+2

This is usually not subtle...

Hi there- It is certainly possible for you to rupture you muscle repair while forcefully contracting your muscles, as in a sneeze or cough, but this would be unlikely to occur after a single sneeze or cough, as most Board Certified Plastic Surgeons perform their repairs in a "redundant" manner, meaning that if one suture breaks, there are more in place to prevent this problem. This is not to say that you should not be careful. The binder is important, as is supporting your abdomen... more
Armando Soto, MD
Orlando Plastic Surgeon
+2

Your surgeon knows best

While you can potentially break a stitch or have it pop out of the tissues by contracting the muscles or exerting forceful pressure across the suture line, whether or not it will affect the healing and the result depends on the repair that was done. Some surgeons use individual interrupted sutures to repair the muscle. I, for example, use multiple individual sutures in multiple layers.The reason is that if one breaks, there is a host of others stitches that will keep the repair together.... more
Robin T.W. Yuan, MD
Beverly Hills Plastic Surgeon
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