I just had a tummy tuck. How many dissolvable stitches are inside me, just approx?

Thanks for the question. In a well designed tummy tuck, there can be three layers of absorbable sutures. The number of sutures depends on the length of the incision. As the sutures dissolve, patients feel a hard and deep ridge along the incision. Rest assured that this ridge will soften up in 6 months to a year. The sutures typically dissolve in 3 months, but the inflammation can persist for several months.Good Luck.

used in your tummy tuck and many surgeons even use it for the muscle repair.  In my cases, there are 3 separate layers of dissolvable sutures used and after 6 months, they are all dissolved.

Usually "a lot". It is of no importance. Patients often ask "how many stitches did I get" as if it a contest or a measurement of severity or success or failure. I think it is mainly just interest. Unfortunately, surgeons will rarely "count sutures".

Thank you for your question. How many and what kind of sutures are used varies from surgeon to surgeon. Also, sometimes suturing is performed at a single site and other times one long suture is used along the entire length of the incision. With all of these variables, it's impossible to guess how many dissolvable sutures your surgeon used. This is a great question for them.

Thanks for sharing your question. 
This is a typical question that as a surgeon you hardly pay attention to. The typical answer is to focus on the surgery and the outcome, and not count the minor steps to get there. A wild guess would be 70 cm incision. 1 stitch every 1-2 cm deep = 35subcuticular suture: x 2 with possibly 70 x 2 entrances and exits = 140Muscle approximation: 30 cm with 15 stitches= 15Grand total: 180 aprox.
Wishing you the best in your journey

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER: It is difficult to say what is exactly happening with your case without a physical examination, testing or having done your surgery. It is imperative that you have a thorough examination by a board-certified surgeon. Only then, you may weight better the options to fix your current concerns.

Thank you for your question. I would ask your plastic surgeon this question directly. A lot of this depends on the length of your incision, the layers closed, whether or not your muscle was plicated or not - and with what type of suture, etc. But, likely at least 75-150 would be my guess. Best of luck!

You would have to ask your surgeon since each Plastic Surgeon utilizes different combinations of dissolvable and permanent sutures.  Also the length of your incision plays a factor as well.   At your next follow up ask your surgeon and (s)he will be able to give you an estimate.

I don't know why that is important, but it depends on the length of your incisions and the definition of a stitch.You probably have some stouter, interrupted (single) stitches in the deep layer fascia - the number can vary widely. The thinner under skin (dermal) stitch is a running (continuous) stitch and depending on your size can be a little as one stitch with a knot at either end. If it is a Quill stitch you may not have any knots. If your incision is long (maybe around your flank to your back, you might have four such sutures. Your navel may have a number of interrupted dissolvable thin dermal sutures (maybe 10). and maybe a few skin sutures that may need to be removed. they have variable times until dissolution depending on your individual enzyme expression. Sometimes when I finish there might be a spot or two I add an outside skin suture that I remove in a couple of days, just to make the incision nicer.