Infected Sutures/Stitches One Year After Tummy Tuck?

The following post from our forum is from a woman who had a tummy tuck over a year ago and now thinks that her sutures/stitches are infected causing her lumps in her stomach and pain. She is wondering what to do.

Date: 12/12/2011	Submitted by: Lynne

I had a tummy tuck on 7/30/10. This was not a surgery to make me beautiful this was to remove a portion of my abdomin where a re-accuring staph infection was. The plastic surgeon recommended cutting it out and I said do it.

Now after all that I have lumps in my abdomin that look and feel as though the inside sutures never dissolved and I think they are infected. The more I do the more I hurt! What do I need to do now?? Im assuming these need to come out. Will this require another surgery??? Who if anyone is at fault??? Are suture companies ever held responsible?? Any help would be appreciated!

RESPONSE
Date: 12/12/2011	Submitted by: Tanner

Lynne,

Some inside sutures never dissolve and are made to be permanent, so I would not assume they need to come out.

I have heard of sutures snapping and breaking after a tummy tuck. One woman even said that her tummy tuck stitches were coming out of her skin 6 years after her tummy tuck.

You may be right, but it sounds like you are guessing that your problem is your sutures. The only way to be sure is to go back to your surgeon (or a different doctor) and have it checked out. I am sure there are tests that they can do to determine if it is your stitches or some other condition that is causing your lumps and your pain.

Another surgery? You need to find out what your problem is first before thinking about that. If it turns out to be an infection, they might just
give you some antibiotics to take.

Who would be at fault? I don't know and I doubt that you will ever know, if there is anybody at fault. Some stuff just happens that's not the doctor's or the suture company's fault. After all it's been over a year since your surgery.

Are suture companies ever held responsible? Again, I don't know but it seems like you need to be concentrating on finding out what the cause of your condition is first.

Good luck,

Tanner

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Infected Sutures/Stitches One Year After Tummy Tuck?

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