Abscess After Tummy Tuck. How is This Treated?

Infections can occur after any surgery.

It is easy to say you should have used drains, but each surgeon's practice is different.  Was a fibrin sealant used in lieu of drains?  Most surgeons do use drains.

The treatment now will involve thorough removal of all infected materials, usually by exploring the wound and cleaning it out well.

I agree, the sutures that you surgeon placed were not the cause of an abscess.  You likely had a fluid collection (seroma or hematoma) that became infected.  Depending on the size of the abscess and other factors, you may need only debridement and opening and draining the abscess (which it sounds like was done), up to possible re-operation and hospitalization.  All of this depends on the extent of the abscess, the result of the culture and how sick you are, if at all.  I would thoroughly discuss this with your surgeon.

Occasionally fluid collections will get infected and more rarely the sutures may get infected. When it is a permanent suture it may need to be removed. Howeer, the surgeon may wait If cultures are pending appropriate antibiotics may be prescribed.

Thank you for your post. Seromas can be painful and cause a cosmetic deformity, as well as sometimes leak. The whole point of drains is to keep a seroma from happening in the first place. If a drainless procedure was performed, and you had a seroma, or you had drains that were pulled and you subsequently had a seroma, then you should be drained, otherwise a capsule builds around the fluid making it permanent. If a capsule builds around the seroma (pseudo bursa or encapsulated seroma) then the only way to remove the seroma is to surgically open the areas and excise the capsule, and close over drains to prevent another seroma from happening. If the seroma is encapsulated and is tight and painful, then it can be confused with just swelling or fat. An ultrasound is useful in distinguishing these and identifying the extent of the seroma. If the seroma is not yet encapsulated, then it is usually loose and has a 'fluid wave' or water bed type feel. Occasionally, a seroma can also become infected, especially if a permanent braided suture was used. This will have a hot, red appearance, and will eventually open up. I have never seen an infection from sterile aspiration of fluid.Best wishes,Pablo Prichard, MD

Standard of care no matter techniques is use of drains. So unfortunately you have experienced the result of poor techniques. You need IV antibiotics and possible re exploration with debridement with excision of any infected materials (sutures) and tissue and DRAINS. Sorry for your issues maybe find another surgeon. I bet this has "never" happened to your chosen surgeon using this technique of suturing the flaps ( one I do not recommend unless some form of drain is used). I have personally  operated on 5 of these issues from this techniques over the last year. From MIAMI Dr. Darryl J. Blinski