Concerns with 'Stitch Infection' After Breast Augmentation

These things do happen from time to time, they happen for a number of reasons, luckilly they heal well and should not influence your long term outcome 

Your pictures suggest that you've had a peri-areolar mastopexy performed in combination with your breast augmentation. It's not unusual for absorbable sutures to work their way to the surface of the wound following this type of procedure. When this happens, they frequently develop localized infection around the suture. This is known as a stitch abscess and is easily treated with local wound care. This requires removal of the suture and dressing changes. In some cases, antibiotics will be necessary as well.It's important to consult your plastic surgeon so your wound can be properly managed. Although this isn't an optimal situation, it doesn't appear that mismanagement has taken place. Your surgeon should be able to develop a treatment plan that addresses your concerns.

Without knowing more details of the surgery or seeing your wife in person, it is impossible to give specific advice.  Also, it does appear that more than just breast augmentation was performed since the incision goes all the way around the areola.  This is the incision for a circumareolar lift which can be combined with a breast augmentation.  With this type of lift, there is extra stress on the incision when compared to a traditional lift.  Regardless, it appears that she has a small wound separation which may have been caused by a  stitch abscess.  This is just a superficial inflammation and is much different than a true "abscess" in the deeper tissues. The rest of the breast appears healthy with on overwhelming infection, so you should expect the area to heal quite nicely with some localized wound care.

 

Good luck.

Thank you for the question and photo.  It appears the sutures have caused the infection based on your photo but this is not uncommon.  You should visit your board-certified plastic surgeon and have the sutures removed or maybe he or she has another solution to the matter.  Best of luck. Dr. Michael Omidi.









An
in-person exam with a board-certified plastic surgeon is the best way to assess
your needs and provide true medical advice.

It appears that you have a suture knot that has become infected and worked its way to the surface.  The suture needs to be removed.  Once removed the area will heal normally.  Hopefully the deeper tissues are not involved. The only real problem that could occur is if the implant gets infected.  Proper wound care should get it healed up.

Infection following breast augmentation should be rare. If it occurs, even in the wound, I believe it should be treated aggressively. This would most likely not show up at your one month post op visit.

Usually stitich abscess develop several weeks to months after surgery and commonly heal on their own without much intervention besides local wound care.  Keep a close eye on it with your doctor.

I agree with colleagues in that most likely things looked fine one week ago, as it takes time for even infections to develop. It is not uncommon to develop these superficial infections or "stitch abscess," etc. The most important thing is that the wound is adequate cared for, i.e. washed out, any residual infection removed, and careful observation along with antibiotics. You wany to make sure the infection is care for, is not delayed, and doesn't progress. Usually, these heal very well, and if necessary down the road, the resultant scars (if any) can be revised within a few minutes under local anesthesia. 

Based on the picture you provided it looks like more than the breast augmentation was performed (? mastopexy also). Most likely, your wife's incisional opening is related to a “stitch abscess”. I do not think there was necessarily anything done incorrectly at the one-week postop visit. I suggest continued follow-up with your surgeon. These types of superficial wounds generally heal well over the course of a few weeks.

Best wishes.

Dear lady,

all depends on the aspect of the wound at the 1 week check-up.  It is possible that at that time no signs of infection were present. 

Normally, with proper wound care and antibiotics from now, this would should close without any problem.