Spitting stitch and swelling in tummy questions

So I am three weeks out and healing really good in all my areas with exception to having 3-4 spitting stitches in one breast. Does anyone know if I just let them work themselves out or do I pull them out? And..do I put neosporin on them or let just leave them dry. I am going to email my PS but thought I would ask my OH family first.

Also, the swelling in my tummy seems to be sitting right above my incision to create a kind of ledge sorts. The build up is kindof like a waterbed effect. You can flick my tummy and it kind of waves. Is this something I need to get checked out? It is accross the length of my tummy right above the incision. No swelling below for the most part.

Thanks in advance.
Tammy

What ever you do don't pull the stitches. Trust me you'll probably regret it. I had a couple and I pulled them. One came out completely. The other just pulled and really started to hurt. What my Dr. did to the ones in my breast was to take a tweezers and gently pull slightly and then cut it off as close to the skin as possible. By pulling slighly it will go back in and not leave you w/ a little sliver feeling sticking out.

Don't know what to tell you about the swelling, hopefully it goes away soon and is nothing to be concerned with.

Sonya

Hi Tammy,
After my TT and Breast Lift I spit 2 stitches...one in the breast one in the TT incision.
The surgeon had to remove them both.  DO NOT PULL THEM OUT....
After he removed the stitches I had to put neosporin on the area.  It took about 2 weeks for he TT area to fully heal and a little longer for the breast.

I think I might be spitting a stitch today (3.5 weeks after my LBL)....I'm calling the surgeon tomorrow.

Can't help with the tummy wave...sorry.  But I can share that my tummy is more swollen now after the lbl and oddly enough it never really got swollen after my TT!  Weird huh!

Hope you are feeling better by now....
TTFN
Ruth

Thanks Ruth. It is weird how one surgery will cause swelling and another doesn't. It seems the only swelling is in my tummy and back where aggressive lipo was done. Other areas have gone down for the most part.

I had a TT and brachioplasty on December 8th (3 weeks on Tuesday).  At my one week followup they told me if I feel stitches poking out to try and leave them alone until my next visit when they can take them out.   If they were in a place that is absolutely driving me crazy then they said they would understand if I needed to take it out.

About the tummy today is the first day I have experienced what you are talking about, and for me it is fluid built up between the tissue.  My surgeon's office also warned me of this at my one week followup, letting me know it may happen and to call them and they can drain it.   She said that it isn't an emergency thing (we were going out of town for Christmas), but she did say that I would want to get it taken care of within a week of when the fluid build up started.   I am hoping mine goes down overnight, if it doesn't I will be calling them in the morning.   Hope this helps.

Hey Tammy,

The tummy thing kinda sounds like what I have, either a hematoma or seroma. I went in and had almost a cup and a half of old blood aspirated last Tuesday. I'll be going back in on Thursday for more. My PS said that the body is very inefficient at taking care of it on it's own and a build up can cause the suture line to open.

I'm sure Dr S can advise you on what to do.

Martha

Sttitch spitting is common, and the issue is what type of stitch and what to do about it.  Some dissolve quickly.  Local wound care is usually all that's needed to prevent the open spot from becoming infected. 

The "waterbed" effect may be a seroma on the lower abdomen, and an ultrasound will sort that out quickly.  Most docs opt to drain these sooner than later.

Thanks Dr Lo! I appreciate your response.

Were is Dr. Sauceda at? May I ask how much is a TT procedure?

Dr Sauceda is in Monterrey Mexico.
He's awesome!  His price list is on his website.  If you combine procedures the prices are much less.  I had my surgery almost 4 weeks ago and am very pleased!

medicaltourism.com.mx - Home

here is his website.