Dissolvable Staples in Tummy Tuck Incision

These staples are probably the Insorb skin staples, which are designed to absorb in the tissues just like absorbable sutures. Of course, these are slightly firmer and bulkier than suture material, since they are actually "stapled" by a clever surgical device. They are designed to both save time (and thereby cost), but still give a good cosmetic result.

Of course, if they are placed slightly too close to the surface of the skin, they can erode through the surface, dry out, and dissolve more slowly, as well as occasionally allowing skin bacteria to cause superficial abscesses. Iodine and antibiotics are the proper care for this, and those that dissolve will do so gradually over several weeks. Stretch marks have very thin epithelium, and are more difficult to close accurately, so these problems could occur more commonly with sutures as well as skin staples, in patients with many stretch marks. Those staples that erode through the surface will continue to require local care, but will almost certainly not impair your final result, except for the scar itself, which may be slightly more irregular or discolored when all is said and done in the healing process.

Scar revision may be an option for better results, but not until 6 months has been allowed to pass. (There goes the time and cost savings, by the way!) Best wishes!

Your surgeon probably used an Insorb stapler, which is designed to place absorbable staples within the deeper layers of the skin.  Absorbable staples, like absorbable sutures, are occasionally pushed out by the body ("spit") before they can dissolve.  There is nothing you can do to help them dissolve; the remaining staples may be absorbed or may "spit".

My response to your question/post does not represent formal medical advice or constitute a doctor patient relationship.  You should continue to follow-up with your plastic surgeon in order to receive formal evaluations and maintain your doctor patient relationship.

If you have had only a few staples 'spit' then most of the other staples are dissolving and you will most likely not need to have many more removed.  I would not put iodine in a wound.  If you have a superficial infection, antibiotics and local gentle wound care should take care your your problem.  Iodine may kill the helpful cells trying to clear the infection.