Worried About Tummy Tuck Internal Corset Stitching Sutures?

Suture extrusion is very rare in the muscle repair mainly because those sutures are not directly beneath an incision.  I would not concern myself with that phenomena.

Dr. ES

Dissolvable stitches are meant to be disposed of through natural processes of the body. Sometimes they will works her way through the skin which is called spitting. Any suture can possibly do this but for the most part is limited to intradermal skin sutures that are dissolvable.

         The sutures even if permanent should be buried and generally do not work their way to the surface as skin stitches sometimes can.  Find a plastic surgeon with ELITE credentials who performs hundreds of tummy tucks each year.  Then look at the plastic surgeon's website before and after photo galleries to get a sense of who can deliver the results.  Kenneth Hughes, MD Los Angeles, CA

Good question. I have never heard of, or had a patient, who "rejected" their internal corset sutures. It is rare to actually have an allergy to a suture material. But sometimes sutures in the skin can work their way to the surface and "spit" out. Discuss this with your surgeon so that you feel comfortable with the plan.

Sutures that are "spitted" up by the body are usually the ones used in skin closure. The "corset "sutures are usually deep not absorbable and are not expelled by the body. TThey get infected either at the time of surgery or if the skin on top of them is not together and bacteria go down to the sutures causing a small localized infection. When that happens the body ends up getting rid of the suture to resolve the infection..

Most likely, you won't have an issue with your tummy tuck stitches. I always tell my patients that if they feel a stitch, not to tug on it, simply clip it close to the skin. 

Although it is possible, it is highly unlikely. The "spitting sutures" are almost always  superficial, and more apt to become contaminated. The support sutures are in a more protective environment. 

The more superficial sutures can erode through the skin and become visible even though they are dissolvable.  The deeper sutures are surrounded by healthy tissue and do not usually have this same problem. 

Hello and thank you for your question.

No, you don't have to worry about spitting of sutures for your internal plication. Spitting occurs at suture lines in the skin. The sutures used for your plication are not directly underneath or a part of a skin suture line. They are much too deep to spit. Good luck with your tummy tuck!

The deep sutures used to create the corset in a tummy tuck are actually plicating the edges of the fascia that envelopes the vertical rectus muscles.  This layer is quite deep and is covered by the skin flap.  The material used to make these sutures is usually permanent and non-absorbable.  It would be extremely unlikely that these stitches could ever erode through unless there were an infection or loss of the overlying skin.  "Spitting Stitches" are usually superficial under the skin and will typically dissolve in a few months.