Suture Extrusion – "Spitting Sutures"
What Are Spitting Sutures?
During surgery, wounds are closed by sewing the skin together with dissolvable sutures or stitches for healing. Some are placed under the skin, while a top layer of stitches is also used to close the incision. The deep sutures are primarily dissolving ones. Your surgeon may only use dissolvable sutures or combine them with permanent sutures, depending on the procedure. The dissolvable sutures tend to be clear or white in color.
Although they are placed with precision and care, the body may view the sutures as foreign substances and reject them. This means that the body has a mechanism that naturally works to break down or remove objects that it feels don’t belong. While the sutures are meant to break down and dissolve over time, the body may respond by pushing them out of the body, which is referred to as “spitting a stitch.” When this happens, it may seem like a reason to panic, but spitting sutures are a common occurrence during the healing and recovery process.
How to Remove Spitting Sutures at Home
A spitting suture can be removed at home. When you notice the suture is protruding from the skin, try gently removing it with a sterilized tweezer. If the suture proves difficult to remove, please contact your surgeon and make an appointment to have it removed at their office.
Once the suture is taken out of the skin, clean the area with alcohol and place a warm, damp compress on the area for a few minutes. This may cause other sutures to come to the surface. If this is the case, remove them, clean the area, and reapply the warm compress. Pat the area dry with a clean cloth and apply antibiotic ointment. A spitting suture should not affect the wound’s healing, which will continue on its own. It is important to follow your surgeon’s post-operative care instructions for wound care to avoid other issues with the incision or infection.
How to Care for Wounds After Surgery
There is no way to tell if spitting sutures will occur prior to surgery, and it isn’t something you can avoid if your body decides to reject them. However, following your surgeon’s post-op instructions on wound care can help ensure the area remains clear of infection or other issues, such as wound breakdown. Here are five ways to care for your wounds post-surgery:
- Follow the Post-Op Plan – Post-operative care includes no heavy lifting or strenuous activity for the first six weeks following surgery. After six weeks, patients can resume normal activity as directed by their surgeon. Learn more about post-op recovery.
- Check Incisions Daily – Check all incisions daily for signs of spitting sutures, separation and infection. Early detection can help ensure proper healing.
- Brace Your Wound – Avoid putting tension on the incision site when moving or lifting heavy objects by bracing the wound. Lightly place your hand over the incision when you are coughing, sitting or using the bathroom to minimize pressure in the area.
- Clean the Incision and Dressings – Clean the incision sites properly and change any dressings according to your post-op instructions. This allows you to monitor changes to the incision site and reduces the risk of complications like infection.
- Rest – Give yourself time to heal properly. Surgical procedures like liposuction, breast augmentation and tummy tucks cause trauma to the body through incisions and the removal of excess tissue. It is important to rest and avoid stress for a smooth recovery.
Further Questions?
If you have further questions regarding spitting sutures and the recovery process after surgery, visit our patient resources portal to learn more about our post-op care guidelines. You can also call the PURE Plastic Surgery office at (786) 567-9218 for personalized answers and advice!
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