Are there risks associated with permanent sutures used for tummy tucks?

Hi and welcome to our forum!
Of significance, suture material becomes useless as a method to hold tissues together after a period of 2-3 months as the tissues bond together with the development of scar tissue. Permanent abdominal fascial sutures do not dissolve. They are usually utilized for their initial strength. However, there are occasional patients who develop a late infection of the fascial sutures, which may ultimately require suture removal, even months-years later. Permanent sutures are biologically inert.
Absorbable fascial sutures dissolve over a period of months. They are not quite as strong as non-absorbables and are usually used in order to prevent these late infections....but as they are weaker, they are more prone to rupture with recurrence of the diastasis recti.
There are advocates in both camps...(and there are some surgeons who still use wire for their fascial closures).
Visit a board certified plastic surgeon for evaluation and discussion...and don't overthink it!
Best wishes...

Thank you for your question regarding the safety and durability of permanent sutures used in tummy tucks.
Due to their proven reliability and safety, permanent sutures are routinely used in various medical fields, including orthopedics, vascular surgery, and neurosurgery. In the context of a tummy tuck, these sutures serve to secure the rectus muscles, contributing to long-lasting results permanently.
While the sutures are designed to last a lifetime, there are rare instances where they might break. To mitigate this risk, surgeons often use multiple permanent sutures. This way, even if one breaks, the others remain intact, preserving the integrity of the abdominal wall repair.

As for longevity, the likelihood of sutures breaking does not increase with age. Furthermore, these sutures are biologically inert and typically do not trigger immune responses. Very rarely, an infection may occur or the body may reject a suture, necessitating surgical intervention for removal. However, these cases are extremely uncommon.
I hope this clarifies your concerns about the use of permanent sutures in tummy tucks.
Sincerely,
Dr. Katzen

Thanks for your great question. It is true, many plastic surgeons use permanent sutures for muscle plication. I used to also. There were some annoying features my patients experienced which led me to use PDS sutures( long lasting, dissolving). Permanent sutures don't change over time, but their importance diminishes over time. Scar tissue takes over. During secondary procedures, I sometime find the old sutures with no tension; serving no purpose. If a suture breaks, the result depends on when it happens, and if there is one, two, or many sutures in the repair. So the answer to your question is complicated. I am not aware of any immune response to permanent sutures