Mommy Makeover: Q&A

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Is It Okay to Wait 3 Weeks Before Stitches Are Removed after Mommy Makeover?

I had a mommy makeover 2 weeks ago. I was supposed to get my stitches out (FTT/BA/BL) today, but due to taking too long and waiting 1.5 hours, I had to leave and reschedule the soonest 5 days from today. Should I be concerned? My PS doesn't seem concerned, but I've read some of the docs mention railroad track scarring.

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14 Doctor Answers | Asked by Booka in FL

Doctor Answers (14)
Community Comments (0)

Many variables

Hello, I have very few sutures to remove as I put in mostly dissolving type sutures. There are too many variables in how different surgeons operate to be able to say whether or not a few days period will make a difference in your case. Your surgeon's word is the best thing you will have. Best Regards, John Di Saia MD

Mommy Makeover and suture removal

After a Mommy Makeover sutures may or may not need to be removed depending on the type of suture your surgeon used and how the incision was closed. If the suture was run under the surface of the skin (intradermal) and you can't see it, it would be alright to leave it in for three weeks. If the suture is seen on the surface of the skin - like a baseball stitch - it may leave a more prominent scar (railroad track) if left in longer. Check back with your surgeon. more

Suture removal

Most if not all of the sutures with this surgery are placed subcuticularly. There are no skin stitches so railroading is not an issue

When To Remove Skin Sutures Post-Op

I believe that removable permanent sutures and dissolvable sutures that don't need to be removed each have their place. Each surgeon's technique is different, but scarring is scarring and I would recommend you try to get in as early as possible to get your sutures out. That being said, sutures in the armpit after a transaxillary breast augmentation can stay in over a week and actually leave no physical scars. Sutures in the belly button that are tied only on... more

Mommy Makeover

The usual time of removal is 2-3 weeks, depending on how you heal. They may be more difficult to remove if left in too long.

Suture Removal after Mommy Makeover

Thank you for the question. Each surgeon is different with the type of sutures used during surgery...... I use mostly dissolvable sutures that do not need to be removed after surgery. Your surgeon has your best interest in mind so follow the direction of your surgeon in regards to suture removal. Best Wishes!

Best to do mommy makeover with dissolvable stitches.

Hi. A few days probably don't matter. But we only use absorbable stitches that never have to be removed. They never leave marks, they make the wound stronger for a long time, and they prevent scars from getting wide.

Is It Okay to Wait 3 Weeks Before Stitches Are Removed after Mommy Makeover?

As Plastic surgeons we are ultimately known for the quality and subtlety of the scars we leave behind. While surgical technique is important none of our patients really understand the advantages of one technique over another as the way Plastic surgeons do. They DO understand a hidden inconspicuous scar as opposed to a thick, cross hatched ("rail road") scar. For this reason, Plastic surgeons spend a LOT more time on their skin closures than any other surgical profession. Because... more

Suture removal and timing.

There are two considerations for suture removal. The first is whether the incision has healed with enough strength that the sutures are no longer necessary. The second is to remove them prior to the sutures leaving scars from where they enter the skin. This second issue is sometimes called "railroad tracks." The time for these to develop is variable. Some patients will develop these small scars after 7-10 days, others may never develop them despite 3-4 weeks of suture retainment.... more

David Bogue, MD

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Boca Raton Plastic Surgeon

www.drbogue.com

When to Remove Stiches

Sutures should be removed at seven days to help reduce permanent lines, known as rail road tracks. Removal, ultimately depends on when the wound is ready, and it's location. The longer you wait to remove the stitches, the harder they will be to get out, as the skin tends to grow over them.

Suture Removal

It is impossible to tell what effect delay on suture removal will have in your individual situation. There many different techniques of wound closure, and given intervalsof suture removal for each type of closure. I am sure that if your surgeon felt strongly, he/she would have told you so.

Remove skin sutures within seven days after tummy tuck

Few of us use sutures that need to be removed, and fewer still a suture that can be seen on the surface of the skin. If you did have a 'surface suture' it is true that the sutures should be removed within seven days to avoid track marks on the skin. Best of luck, peterejohnsonmd

Suture removal after mommy makeover

For any operation, it is desirable to remove the sutures as soon as initial wound healing has happened, so that the suture crossing the skin doesn't create lines, and the actual suture holes don't become epithelialized and leaver permanent spots. I usually remove sutures at about a week after surgery.

Stiches removal

If there are sutures on top of the skin, they are and should be removed very quickly 5-7 days. Otherwise they will leave a mark (rail road tracks). See your plastic surgeon ASAP for suture removal