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

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

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

Scar tissue will slowly grow to surround the permanent sutures, so if used they are typically not a problem down the road. The type of sutures used will vary be surgeon. I encourage you to ask questions about your surgeon's preference and reasoning. It is important that you are comfortable and confident in your surgical plan.