Will Spitting Stitches Affect Breast Lift Scars?

Hello! Thank you for your question.  It is certainly possible and proper wound care is warranted - discuss with your surgeon. It is common for scars to fully mature for up to a year. In the meantime, there are a few things that may help to ameliorate your incision/scar. The most proven (as well as cheapest) modality is simple scar massage. Applying pressure and massaging the well-healed scar has been shown to improve the appearance as it breaks up the scar tissue, hopefully producing the finest scar as possible. Other things that have been shown to add some benefit are silicone sheets, hydration, and topical steroids. In addition, avoidance of direct sunlight to the incision will significantly help the appearance as they tend to discolor with UV light during the healing process. If unsightly scars are still present after approximately a year's time, other things that your surgeon may consider are intralesional steroid injections, laser, or just surgical revision of the scar itself. Hope that this helps! Best wishes for a wonderful result!

Unfortunately, despite best efforts, sutures can “spit” causing a minor complication along the incision lines. This issue is usually self limited and often resolves quickly after the stitch is removed. Nevertheless, the phenomenon does cause anxiety for the patient and potentially does lead to a wider scar in the area ( because of the increased superficial inflammation).  Occasionally, scar revision is necessary to improve the scar's  appearance.

Hope this helps.

 

The splitting of stitches in a wound is not an infrequent occurrence. The wound usually heals with local wound care and without further surgery. If the resulting scar widens, a scar revsion can be planned after 6-12 months under local anesthesia. The important thing is not to have to worry and just follow the advice of your plastic surgeon.