Is there a reason ny body is pushing out undissolved sutures & should I refrain from future procedures?

Thank you for your question. During an abdominoplasty many sutures are placed. Depending on the type that is used, some will dissolve in 6 weeks, some in 6 months. It is not uncommon for some of the sutures to push themselves out of the incision line. Please do not try and take these out at home. Please go see your Board Certified Plastic Surgeon and have them take them out for you. They can also assess the wound. Usually those areas will heal up fine. Sometimes small revisions may help the final result. It should not preclude you from other procedures. The type of suture may be changed if there are significant amount of spitting sutures. Best to discuss with your Plastic Surgeon.

Jeffrey J. Roth, M.D., F.A.C.S.

Board Certified Plastic Surgeon

Las Vegas Plastic Surgery

It is not so frequent but it does happen in areas where deep thick sutures are placed to Scarpe fascia to maintain the tension of abdominal wall closure. These sutures have long absorbtion time and, in some cases they cause low grade local infection. Gradually they come out on the surface and when removed area heals without problem. Unless significant scarring develops, there is no need for surgical revision. Hope this helps.

It sounds like your permanent sutures have been contaminated since the original surgery and now you are trying to spit these out slowly. They may need to all come out, but I would take antibiotics for now. Hopefully your doctor can culture these areas. Except for this area, future surgeries should not be a problem.

Sometimes suture material does not dissolve properly and results in a small suture abscess. Your surgeon can typically address these in the office. Once the suture material is removed the area tends to heal well with minimal home care. There is no concern for future procedures.

Without seeing pictures, we can’t really make an assessment. Most likely the suture material was contaminated and that’s why it didn’t heal.
Is your plastic surgeon not helping you with this problem?
Some healing issues are not all that uncommon with major body contouring surgery like an extended tummy tuck or fleur-de-lis tummy tuck type procedure.
I suggest you follow up with your plastic surgeon and have him or her address your concerns and guide you through the process.
Best,
Mats Hagstrom, MD