Could my absorbable sutures have broken?

Question

I had a facelift 3 weeks ago and I am still swollen and my neck and skin near my ears is very stiff. Today I needed to blow my nose and i heard and felt something that kind of broke inside; it hurt, in all my neck at first and now in my ear. So I guess that some of my sutures broke? Should I do something about it?

Vincent N. Zubowicz, MD · Answer

Three weeks after facelift most of the translocated soft tissues are well cemented in their new location. Failure of a dissolvable stitch should not affect the outcome.

Evan Ransom, MD, FACS · Answer

With any pain, discomfort, asymmetric swelling, etc., the first thing to do is to get in touch with your surgeon. An examination of the area in person is required to make sure that things are healing ok.

Pablo Prichard, MD · Answer

Dear Touz,

	Thank you for your question.  There is nothing to be done about a broken internal suture at this point.  if you are still swollen, however, you may benefit from a compression garment.  Follow up with your plastic surgeon and let them know what happened.

	Best wishes,

	Pablo Prichard, MD

Edward E. Dickerson, IV, MD · Answer

A broken absorbable suture will more than likely not affect your outcome. The best thing you can do is follow-up with the surgeon whom preformed your facelift and/or their medical staff. Depending on your individual case and the technique used, they will best be able to advise you on how to minimize the pain you feel in your neck and ear. “Dr. D”

Jeffrey Zwiren, MD · Answer

There are many reasons you may have felt like a suture popped from your facelift but it is unlikely that any permanent damage occurred. If you are unsure then it would be best for you to follow up with your plastic surgeon as soon as possible.

Paul S. Howard, MD · Answer

Since you cannot see the sutures tightening your face and neck, it is usually

	Since you cannot see the sutures tightening your face and neck, it is only by your historical account that a dignosis can be made and it sure sounds like you "tore" a suture. Whether the suture was absorbable or permanent is not pertinent. The good news is that most surgeons use multiple sutures to do important things like tighten your neck. If you see no changes in the symmetry of your lift then there is nothing to do. If it should become obvious over the next month or so then a corrective procedure would be indicated to replace the suture and retighten your lift.

Robert E. Zaworski, MD (retired) · Answer

Since multiple sutures are used in a facelift, it is unlikely that any damage was done. Follow up with your Plastic Surgeon for an exam as soon as possible so that he can confirm you are healing properly. Best wishes!

Could my absorbable sutures have broken?

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