Liposuction ...to Stitch or Not to Stitch?

Question

Hi , I am considering liposuction , to lower abdomen , inner/outer thighs and knees . The PS here says he stitches incisions . I have read leaving them open helps minimize swelling . Is stitching the incisions ok and is it reasonable to ask for them to be left open ? He has ASPS ISAPS ASAPS so seems to know what he is doing .

David Hansen, MD · Answer

Tumescent liposuction under local anesthesia with the micro canulas is the gold standard for the very best results. Holes are tiny and need to allow drainage. They are never stitched anymore so if your doc does that then he/she is probably using larger more brutal canulas which have a lot of problems associated with them and also probably putting you under general anesthesia which again is a red flag.  We all did it that way 28 yrs ago but those of us you keep up on the advances in lipo have moved on. Sincerely,

	David Hansen,MD

Vincent N. Zubowicz, MD · Answer

There is no advantage to swelling by leaving an incision in sutured. However, the small poke holes are so small there is no aesthetic advantage in closing the wound.

Kenneth Hughes, MD · Answer

There are benefits to either method, and I would recommend that you decide the surgeon based upon experience and results. Find a plastic surgeon with ELITE credentials who performs hundreds of liposuction procedures each year. Then look at the plastic surgeon's website before and after photo galleries to get a sense of who can deliver the results. Kenneth Hughes, MD Los Angeles, CA

Robert Oliver Jr., MD · Answer

As you can get some unsightly scarring from leaving these open in my experience, I've gone to where I usually close them in any potentially visible area. Some of the smaller port site (2-3 mm) are less problematic in this regard.

Robert E. Zaworski, MD (retired) · Answer

There is no relation to swelling either way. Stitching is a decision made by your surgeon for this procedure.

Liposuction ...to Stitch or Not to Stitch?

Answers (5)