How to stop spitting stitches? (Photo)

Question

I had my 9yr silicone implants rem.During the surgery my PS found that I had 20-30 cysts behind the muscle and imm removed them.He also told me that he found breast milk(pregnant over 8yrs ago)!im 5 wks post op and now have issues with spitting stitches.How many knots do surgeons leave inside? Every day I'm pulling out 3-5.How can I stop them?I can't even go to my PS because he's in the Dom.Rep.Since I had my surgery in the DR..I have not had one doctor inthe US who has been willing to help.Why?

Payman Danielpour, MD, FACS · Answer

Stitches that are spitting are normally due to your body rejecting them or sometimes the quality of the suture.  Either way there isnt much to do but be patient as they declare themselves and remove it.  Make sure that you find our what stitch was used and never have that used on your body again!!  Good Luck

David Finkle, MD · Answer

Hundreds of sutures are placed during surgery, most are dissolvable and go away on their own.  However, some sutures come to the surface before they dissolve and may cause a stitch abscess or an infected stitch.  Treatment is opening the wound, removing the suture, applying topical antibiotic ointment and possibly adding oral antibiotics.  Some people can even have an allergic reaction to the suture, which would cause the same reaction, treatment is the same.  Or, the suture material itself is infected or contaminated, which again the treatment is the same.There are several reasons why you will NOT find any plastic surgeons that will help you with your post op care:They didn't perform your original procedureThey have no idea what type of procedure you had doneSince you went to the DR to save money, they know you are a penny pincher and will never pay their bill, even if they do treat youYou will end up suing them for a bad result, even though they didn't do the original surgeryYou have no recourse against the surgeon in the DR, he/she is in a foreign country, you can't sue or even file a complaint, they get free reign, so they can perform unethical or even dangerous procedures and never worry about any recourse, even if you dieThe infection rate for surgery in the DR is unacceptable, there are no government regulations that control surgery centers, doctors, infection rates, sterilization of instruments, quality control, peer review, etc.All plastic surgeons know this, they won't tell you this, but believe me they know this, you are on your own.  What you will end up paying in ER visits, hospitalization, antibiotics, time missed from work, etc will be much more than if you chose a board certified plastic surgeon who was local and could offer you quality post operative care.  We try to warn people, but they think more with their pocket book than with their brain!Good Luck!

Steven Wallach, MD · Answer

Spitting sutures can occur when absorbable sutures that are placed superficially to achieve wound approximation work their way out of the skin. It is often a simple treatment of trimming the tails of the knots that become exposed.

Samir Shureih, MD · Answer

The cause of spitting sutures after surgery is that the sutures are put too superficial, which then can not be absorbed by the body and erode through the skin. They can get secondary infection. therefore they need to be dealt with by the surgeon. it is a technical problem.  complications, even small complications, can hide bigger complications.The first picture shows skin slough, that needs to be evaluated and could be the beginning of a deeper skin loss which would be a problem if there is an implant underneath.

How to stop spitting stitches? (Photo)

Answers (4)

Answer: Suture reaction

Answer: Suture reaction

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How to stop spitting stitches? (Photo)

Answers (4)

Answer: Suture reaction

Answer: Suture reaction

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Recommended reading

Everything you need to know about Breast Implant Removal

Our mission is to create a world where every investment in modern beauty is Worth It.