Incision breakdown after arm lift. 4 weeks post-op. What's safe to use on open wounds although sutures are present? (Photos)

Question

Week 1 my incisions opened under both arms. My surgeon closed both original openings with more sutures at 3 weeks. A few sutures did not hold due to poor surrounding tissue. Because I still have sutures close to the wound, what would you recommend for an expeditious recovery? I currently have hydrogel gauze or petroleum jelly. I'm not sure what to use because of surrounding sutures that are holding. Currently the wounds are covered with dry guaze. Thank you for your time.

Alicia Sigler, MD · Answer

Thanks for your question.  First of all I would be concerned about infection.  Are your wounds infected, if so, it will be difficult for them to close by second intention or bythemselves without sutures. Tey need to be assessed by your surgeon.  If not infected, they need to be kept moist for a faster healing process.  That can be accomplished with oil based dressings, not dry gauzes.  Or you may apply neosporin  to the wounds and cover with telfa.  If the wounds are not infected but are producing some kind of serous discharge, apply optifoam or clacium alginate or silver alginate dressings.  A wound vac would make the wound healing the fastest but is costly and you will need to be carrying around the machine.  Best wishesDr Sigler

J. Timothy Katzen, MD, FACS · Answer

Hello, and thank you for your request regarding incision breakdown after an arm lift and what is safe to use on open arm lift wounds, although sutures are present.  Thank you for your question and your pictures.  Unfortunately, arm lift incisions are very prone to wound breakdown.  The reason arm lift wounds break down is multi-factorial.  It includes the plastic surgeon's experience, sutures used, whether arm liposuction was included, whether too much arm skin was removed, whether you moved too much, or maybe the dressings were too tight, Anatomic reasons of why arm lift incisions breakdown include poor healing due to the hair follicles, lymph nodes, moisture, and sweat glands.  Platforms like this should not be used in the acute setting when seeking advice.  You should follow up with your plastic surgeon, not Real Self.  Each plastic surgeon has their way of treating the wounds.  Using an online forum like this will give you many different opinions on treating your arm lift wound.  There is not just one way to correctly treat an arm lift wound.  Therefore, since your primary plastic surgeon should take care of you, you should not mix other wound treatment modalities suggested by other plastic surgeons.  Therefore, stick with your plastic surgeon's suggestions.  Again, do not seek online forms like this for acute medical advice because it may slow down your eventual healing by having "too many cooks in the pot." Again, you should ask your plastic surgeon for advice, not using public forums like this. 
Thank you for your question regarding wound breakdown after an arm lift and what is safe to use on open arm lift wounds, although sutures are present.  Since a brachioplasty or arm lift surgery is a difficult procedure, please seek an experienced, board-certified plastic surgeon with significant experience performing these types of arm lifts. Do your research.  Make sure your chosen plastic surgeon has performed at least 100 arm lifts.  Make sure they have the before and after pictures to prove it. Please carefully review their before and after pictures and check their reviews on RealSelf.   Sincerely, Dr. Katzen, MD, MBA. (Plastic Surgeon, President of the American Society of Bariatric Surgeons, certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery, Fellow of the International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, American College of Surgery, International College of Surgery, and American Board of Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery, and member of the American Society of Plastic Surgery, American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery, RealSelf Hall of Fame, and RealSelf Doctor Advisory Board for Medical Review and Consumer Panel.)

Mark Crispin, MD · Answer

You are intuitive to know that the wound is best served in a moist environment.  Therefore the hydrocolloid gel dressings are superior.  They will require twice daily dressing changes watching for signs of infection.  Ultimately, your surgeon may need to debride the wound to remove the necrotic debris.  You need to minimize your activity level while the arms are healing.

Incision breakdown after arm lift. 4 weeks post-op. What's safe to use on open wounds although sutures are present? (Photos)

Answers (3)

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Everything you need to know about Arm Lift

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Incision breakdown after arm lift. 4 weeks post-op. What's safe to use on open wounds although sutures are present? (Photos)

Answers (3)

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Everything you need to know about Arm Lift

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