Will dissolvable sutures hold the muscle repair in a tummy tuck?

Question

I have recently had a tummy tuck with muscle repair. My surgeon said he used all absorbable sutures in the muscle repair. I’m concerned that once the sutures dissolve the muscle will come apart again. Should I be concerned?

Kenneth A. Godwin, DO · Answer

Hello and thank you for your question. The type of  dissolvable sutures that most surgeons use for abdominoplasty muscle plication dissolve over a very long period of time. Scar tissue forms and maintains the strength of the repair even after the suture has completely dissolved.  Strength of the dissolvable suture is comparable to the permanent suture for several months after surgery. Best of luck with your ongoing recovery.

Edwin Kwon, MD, FACS · Answer

It's not uncommon to use dissolvable sutures for repair of rectus diastheis during an abdominoplasty.  One of the main advantages of the dissolvable sutures is that you're unlikely to feel the knots if you are somewhat thin.  There are also sutures that dissolve at different rates of time.  For muscle repair, I use a longer acting one so that there is enough time for the repair to scar and gain strength.

Nirmal Nathan, MD · Answer

There are different schools of thought about this and plastic surgeons debate this frequently. Some surgeons use permanent stitches, saying the dissolvable will not provide long term results. The people who support dissolvable say the permanent stitches carry an infection risk that is not worth it. I like to use the best of both worlds. I use permanent stitches and then bury them with a long term dissolvable stitch called PDS. At this point the surgery is already done, so I wouldn't worry. Just live your life and hope for the best. Good luck!

Diego Valencia, MD · Answer

Hi Alice. The sutures do the work initially and in the meantime the body heals and produces enough tension to maintain the plication. It can lasts two months. So don't worry about the sutures. You will be OK

Frederick G. Weniger, MD, FACS, MBA · Answer

Thank you for your question. Dissolvable sutures are often used to correct a diastasis in surgery. Every part of your body takes a certain amount of time to heal, whether its skin, bone, or muscle. The sutures put in place for diastasis repair will be present for more than enough time for those muscles to heal together. Congratulations on your surgery and I hope you have a speedy recovery. Good luck and best wishes!

Beverly Friedlander, MD · Answer

Hi Thank you for your question and congratulations on your surgery.  Dissolvable sutures are used by many surgeons to perform a Diastasis repair.   These sutures dissolve over an extended period of time, leaving a well healed repair.  There is no reason for concern about the sutures.Best of Luck,Beverly Friedlander,MD

Tom J. Pousti, MD · Answer

Surgeons who utilize absorbable sutures use sutures that take an extended period of time to "dissolve";  by that time, your body is no longer depending on the suture strength to maintain the muscle re approximation/repair. Best wishes for an outcome that you will be very pleased with.

Will dissolvable sutures hold the muscle repair in a tummy tuck?

Answers (7)

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