Can a Muscle Repair Come Loose? And if Yes, How Does This Happened?

The short answer is yes, but its not that common.
In the early post operative period the suture that holds the adbominal wall together could break. This is possible, but not likely.  The sutures generally used are very strong.  It is possible the tissue thatt he suture is holding, the fascia that surrounds the muscle could tear, also not very common but possible.
After about six weeks scar tussue has healed in the midline and helps support the midline repair.
In the long term there are still changes that occur.  The adbominal muscle closure is living tisue that will respond to tension. If the tummy is tight the tissues will slowly migrate apart even with intact sutures.
Slender people tend to stay flattest after muscle repair because they have less force (weight) pushing on the suture line.
Mid weight petients will see long term improvement but will have some degree of relaxation overtime as the body finds a new equilibrium.
Heavy patients may relax fully over the course of a year and as such may not be good caandidates at all.
Thats one reason  why its always good to to be at your best weight before you embark on  muscle tightening.
 
Hope this helps.
 
 

Thank you for your question. Yes, the muscle tightening suture can come loose after tummy tuck, but this is not common. When the muscle tightening is performed, it takes 6 weeks to heal and have 90% of its strength.  Some surgeons even use dissolvable sutures for the repair.

If someone lifts too much, coughs a lot, or otherwise strains their abdominal musculature during the critical time of healing in the first six weeks, it is possible for the suture to loosen or tear through.

If you think this has happened, please return to discuss with your plastic surgeon.

Best wishes.

 In general, it would take a significant amount of pressure to “tear" the muscle repair after tummy tuck surgery. This event would likely be associated with significant discomfort. A change in your physical examination, such as increased swelling, bleeding, a new onset "bulge" would also be likely.Generally speaking, abdominal wall muscle plication performed during tummy tuck surgery is quite secure; disruption is very unusual.Best wishes.

The muscle can loosen a little over time, or the sutures can pull out.  Both are possible, although suture disruption is very rare.  Most surgeons place a lot of sutures, or several rows.

The muscle repair is actually a repair of the muscle covering called the fascia which is tightened by a permanent suture. The tissue will heal setting the repair firmly by six weeks or so. It is possible to tear the tissue or suture before full healing by straining, coughing, lifting, but the discomfort would cause you to take notice.
Best of luck, Peter Johnson, MD.

Part of the tummy tuck operation involves tightening the abdominal muscles.  Technically the sutures

are in the fascia (the very strong tissue that surrounds the muscles) to flatten your tummy.  

The sutures can come undone if your surgeon does a poor job-not very likely.  If that happens,

it is usually because of to much strain on the sutures in the first few days after the surgery.

This may be caused by vomiting or by the patient trying to do too much too soon.

The other possibility is that your tissues may not be strong enough to hold the sutures.

Most of us place a lot of sutures to try to prevent any loosening or stretching.

The muscle itself is not repaired, it is the layer on top which is much stronger than the muscle, the gristle layer, know as fascia, which is sutured. The suture is usually permanent, made of polypropylene which is like strong fish line. There are several possible ways for the muscle repair to "come loose". One is by exerting yourself too much in the healing period, generally considered to be about 6 weeks. Coughing fits, constipation causing straining, or repetitive exercise can also cause the repair to fail.

Because the suture is so strong, it is highly unlikely that the suture breaks, especially since more than 1 layer is usually put into the fascia. The fascia itself can be weak, and stretch out again, and lastly, the sutures can cut slowly through the fascia, like a wire through cheese, over time if the fascia is thin. Thankfully this is not common.