Is It Okay to Wait 3 Weeks Before Stitches Are Removed after Mommy Makeover?

The good thing about suture removal is that your surgeon will be the best to know how long the sutures can stay in.  If you leave them in too long, that will for certain be a problematic scar situation where you can see railroad marks or cross hatching markings neither of which is desirable.  The ideal scenario is that they be removed exactly when he tells you (they don't necessarily need to be removed by a certain person, if your surgeon approves). 

Thank you for your question, The-most indicated person to give you a correct answer is your surgeon because he is the one who knows what type of suture used.
best regards,

Sutures are removed at varying times after surgery based on type of suture used and location on the body.  If your surgeon is not concerned about waiting 5 more days, I would rest assured it is okay to wait a bit longer. 

Most plastic surgery closure are done with sutures that run underneath the skin.    The majority of surgeons use sutures that are self absorbing and do not require removal.      Some use a running suture underneath that is pulled out from a point at the end the the incision.     These are okay to leave for weeks.     If sutures are placed where you see the knot or running baseball stitch, these will leave suture marks if they are not removed in 5-6 days.       Your surgeon most likely did not use that type of closure.

I would not wait another 5 days to have your stitches removed as they can leave permanent marks on your skin. 2 weeks is more than adequate for most wounds to have healed and so the stitches should be removed at that point.

Leaving permanent (removable) sutures in place for too long can indeed lead to a less ideal scar, with some degree of the "railroad tracks" that you mentioned.  That said, 5 additional days will likely not make a tremendous difference.  With my patients, I try to avoid this issue entirely by closing all tummy tuck and cosmetic breast incisions with dissolvable sutures that are beneath the surface of the skin.

I don't like to leave stitches in place for more than two weeks, but in select cases where the stitches are small and in discrete locations in might be OK.  After one week the marks that stitches leave begin to become permanent. 

Thank you for your question.  Not every surgeon uses the same sutures when closing incisions for any surgical procedure, so the best advice would be to check with your surgeon to see if waiting 5 extra days is ok with he or she.  Your surgeon would know best as to how long your specific sutures can stay in place before it could potentially cause an issue (like poor scarring).  Some sutures when left in too long will cause a 'railroad track/mark' type scar, while others that are absorbable are ok to leave in for long periods of time.  Please follow up with your surgeon and follow his or her recommendation.  

Most of  sutures are internal and dissolvable and do not need to be removed.   If you do have a few sutures to be removed these are usually around the belly button.  You can trust your doctor if he or she feels they can be left in another week.   Your board certified plastic surgeon will have your best result as the goal. 

While keeping the stitches in for a longer time may make your scars more visible, it really depends on the surgical techniques and suturing method your surgeon applied, as well as adhering to proper post-surgery instructions on incision hygiene and care. Leaving them in for longer may not make a big difference, although it could make removal just a little more difficult.