I had my surgery 2 weeks ago and sutures taken out a week ago and now have dissolvable. I felt a bump that is tender to touch under one suture area where the arrow is pointing and noticed some irritation around the incision sites. Is this a suture abscess or a part of healing ? I contacted the on call nurse and sent a photo and she basically said to eye it and call if it gets worse. I plan to call the office Monday if it's not better. I also was applying neosporin which they told me to stop.
November 13, 2016
Answer: Breast Augmentation/Breast Implants/Anatomic Gummy Bear Implants/ Silicone Implants/Breast Implant Revision I appreciate your question.
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November 13, 2016
Answer: Breast Augmentation/Breast Implants/Anatomic Gummy Bear Implants/ Silicone Implants/Breast Implant Revision I appreciate your question.
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November 13, 2016
Answer: 2 Weeks Post Breast Augmentation, Do I Have Normal Wound Healing Or A Stitch Abscess? Thank you for your question and pictures. Obviously, an in person exam would be more definitive than viewing a picture online. That being said, the most reasonable diagnosis for your tender, red, protruding area on your suture line is a stitch abscess. The term stitch abscess sounds ominous, but in reality, it is merely the body's attempt to dissolve a subcutaneous dissolvable suture which is a little too close to the under surface of the skin. The process of dissolving the suture brings white blood cells to the area, and white blood cells cause inflammation which is the redness you see around the stitch abscess. The normal abscess one sees associated with bacteria has white blood cells which are attacking bacteria. In the stitch abscess, we have white blood cells attacking and dissolving suture material (a much less threatening situation). As far as your concept of putting Neosporin on the outside of an intact red lump on your skin, I totally agree with your surgeon's nurse. Topical antibiotics, in no way, protect you unless there is a break in the skin. Also, Neosporin is notorious for causing a rash after a few days. This rash tends to look like infection because of its redness which then leads many people to put more Neosporin on, leading to more rash etc. This process of a topical ointment causing the problem is known in the dermatologic world as "dermatitis medicamentosa" which means the ointment caused the problem.If you were my patient and I saw this picture, I would tell you not to worry and come in to see me on Monday.
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November 13, 2016
Answer: 2 Weeks Post Breast Augmentation, Do I Have Normal Wound Healing Or A Stitch Abscess? Thank you for your question and pictures. Obviously, an in person exam would be more definitive than viewing a picture online. That being said, the most reasonable diagnosis for your tender, red, protruding area on your suture line is a stitch abscess. The term stitch abscess sounds ominous, but in reality, it is merely the body's attempt to dissolve a subcutaneous dissolvable suture which is a little too close to the under surface of the skin. The process of dissolving the suture brings white blood cells to the area, and white blood cells cause inflammation which is the redness you see around the stitch abscess. The normal abscess one sees associated with bacteria has white blood cells which are attacking bacteria. In the stitch abscess, we have white blood cells attacking and dissolving suture material (a much less threatening situation). As far as your concept of putting Neosporin on the outside of an intact red lump on your skin, I totally agree with your surgeon's nurse. Topical antibiotics, in no way, protect you unless there is a break in the skin. Also, Neosporin is notorious for causing a rash after a few days. This rash tends to look like infection because of its redness which then leads many people to put more Neosporin on, leading to more rash etc. This process of a topical ointment causing the problem is known in the dermatologic world as "dermatitis medicamentosa" which means the ointment caused the problem.If you were my patient and I saw this picture, I would tell you not to worry and come in to see me on Monday.
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