Symptoms Of Torn Internal Stitches Breast Augmentation
Torn internal stitches is one of the main reasons women experience breast augmentation complications. This guide to Symptoms Of Torn Internal Stitches Breast Augmentation will help you understand how hard it is to tear internal stitches, why you should never massage your breasts during recovery and what the symptoms are of ruptured internal stitches. If after reading this article, you’re still worried about pulling a stitch or rupturing an internal anchor, please contact your surgeon.
In this guide, we review the Symptoms Of Torn Internal Stitches Breast Augmentation, symptoms of ruptured internal stitches, how hard is it to tear internal stitches, and how do i know if i pulled a stitch.
Although a high percentage of breast augmentation operations are extremely successful, you need to be aware of the possible risks and complications associated with the surgery. These are listed in the following table:
What are the warning signs of complications from breast implants?
As with all forms of surgery, the weeks following the operation are crucial for spotting the signs of any problems. Naturally there will be tenderness and some local swelling and bruising, but it is worth checking with your surgeon if you experience any of the following symptoms:
Will breast augmentation affect the sensation in my breasts?
Yes, for a little while, but this should return to normal. The swelling can cause pressure on the nerve endings in your skin which can result in numbness. Sensation should gradually return as your body heals.
How long will it take to regain normal sensation in my breasts?
Most patients find normal sensation returns within a few weeks. For others it can take three to six months, but for some patients it can take up to a year for their breasts to regain normal sensation. Don’t panic if it feels as though sensation isn’t returning quickly; but if you’re worried, mention it to your surgeon during your follow-up appointment.
Will breast augmentation affect the sensation in my nipples?
Yes, for a little while. Also, it’s common to have permanently less sensitive nipples following breast augmentation. This is due to the pressure on your nerves caused by the swelling, and in some cases where nerves have been cut during your incision.
This may be applicable if you had an incision around the nipple.
Will breast augmentation affect the sensation around the incisions?
Your incisions may feel numb as the nerves may also have been cut. This will heal in the weeks and months following the operation, with normal sensation eventually returning.
I have a burning sensation in my breasts. Is this normal?
Yes, it’s normal. A burning sensation following breast surgery is common, and it’s caused by the muscles and nerves being stretched. It should clear up on its own in time.
My breasts are itchy. Is this normal?
Yes, it’s normal to have an itching sensation after breast augmentation. It’s caused by your skin being stretched dramatically over the implants, similar to stomach skin in pregnancy. As your skin adapts and recovers from the stretching, the itch will go away. It can help to massage your skin before and after your surgery to help it recover its elasticity and soothe the itch.
I have a sensation of sharp shooting pains in my breasts. Is this normal?
Yes, this is completely normal. You will get these quite regularly in the few weeks following your surgery, and they can still happen even a few months afterwards. They should calm down and become much less frequent. If you’re still experiencing these pains from three to six months post-operatively, you should seek medical advice.
My breasts are feeling very hard. What does this mean?
It’s normal for the breasts to feel firm and tight for the first few weeks after breast augmentation — this is due to the swelling. However, if it’s been several weeks or months since your surgery, and the hardness is accompanied by a change in shape in one or both breasts, there could be a possibility of capsular contracture, so we’d advise going back to see your surgeon.
What are the risks of infection?
As with all major surgery and skin incisions, there is a small risk of infection. This risk can be lessened by following your surgeon’s post-op wound care sand aftercare instructions as closely as you can. If you do develop an infection, or have any unusual redness or swelling that doesn’t settle down, contact us or get medical advice.
What kind of scarring will I get?
This depends greatly on the type of skin you have, the quality of the surgeon, the location of your incisions, your aftercare and how your body heals, so it varies from person to person and is impossible to predict. However, as a general rule, normal wound healing would result in a shiny red scar that gradually lightens to a shiny white; slightly paler than your usual skin tone. Take a look at what breast surgery scars normally look like for a better idea.
What kind of scarring would be unusual?
Raised areas of scarring or large growths such as keloids would be considered unusual. Read more about this in our guide on what breast surgery scars look like.
How can unusual scarring be prevented?
Some of the measures you can take to minimise scarring after breast surgery include:
What can be done to fix unusual scarring?
This depends on the type of scars you develop. Some can be treated at home with silicone tape or special scar treatment creams, massage or other moisturisers, but some may need surgical intervention to correct them. There are a number of different surgical procedures offered to minimise the appearance of unusual scarring. Talk to us for more information on how we can help.
What is capsular contracture and will I get it?
Capsular contracture is a form of scarring in the breast tissue surrounding the implant, which can then harden and contract. About 5% of women get it, but it can’t be predicted when it will occur. Capsular contracture can be corrected by removing the implant and the scar tissue, then reinserting the implant. You can read more about implant problems and the treatments for them here.
Symptoms Of Torn Internal Stitches Breast Augmentation
If you are considering breast augmentation or any surgical procedure for that matter, it is highly likely that you have some concerns about the potential complications that could occur when you go under the knife.
It is important to recognize that while the FDA has approved both silicone gel and saline breast implants as safe for implantation, there are, nonetheless, specific risks that come with breast augmentation surgery. We encourage patients to consider the risks carefully, but also to understand that any reputable plastic surgeon will take every precaution to minimize them with the patient’s safety and care as the utmost importance.
Unfortunately, complications do happen and while they are a rare occurrence, at Austin-Weston, The Center for Cosmetic Surgery, our plastic surgeons see it as a personal responsibility to patients not to sugarcoat or downplay the possibilities.
So, let’s consider the most common complications in a measured way. Just as patients take precautions to avoid complications after breast surgery, the doctor will take precautions too. With thousands of successful surgeries under our belt, we’ve learned what works and what does not, which has led us to emphasize certain aspects of a patient’s post-operative care to minimize risk.
1. Bleeding
Immediately after surgery, the biggest risk is excess bleeding. Therefore, on the first day after surgery, we see you back in the office to check you for any evidence of blood in the implant pocket. If we find that there is bleeding, we take you back to one of our operating rooms, treat you, and you’re good to go – typically in about 20 minutes.
It’s one of the great things about having our state-of-the-art facility, fully equipped with operating rooms and a full-time surgical staff on hand. You aren’t inconvenienced by having to travel to a hospital or coordinating schedules around the operating room. Our patients are our primary focus.
2. Incision Issues
Infection can occur with any surgery, whether cosmetic or medically necessary. Most infections resulting from surgery appear within a few days to weeks after the operation. However, there is a possibility of infection to occur any time after surgery. In addition, breast and nipple piercing procedures may increase the possibility of infection. Infections and tissue with an implant present are harder to treat infections and tissue without an implant. And infinite if an infection does not respond to antibiotics implant may have to be remitted and another implant maybe place after the faction is resolved and cleared up.
At your one-week post-op appointment, your doctor will clean the incision (using special tape to help minimize scarring) and check to make sure you are healing properly. Most breast augmentation stitches are internal and will dissolve on their own. It goes without saying, that it’s critical you go to all your post-op appointments!
3. High Implants
In addition to bleeding and wound healing issues, in rare cases, implants can sit up too high after surgery. This is often an indication of an early capsular contracture. So, during your one-month check-up, if your surgeon notices that the implants aren’t coming down, he will prescribe oral medication that softens the early scar and typically allows the implant to settle down into place.
4. Capsular Contracture
At the three-month mark, the risk of capsular contracture and implant malposition can occur. Don’t let the complicated medical terms scare you off just yet; these concepts behind these complications are easily explained.
Any time any implant is placed in the body, the body heals itself by building a wall of tissue around that implant. This is just as true for hip implants as it is for breast implants. In most cases, this “capsule” or scar tissue is thin and not noticeable. But in some cases, bacteria grow on the implant and as your body attempts to fight off the infection, a hardening of the capsule can occur. In most cases, this complication is usually preceded by discomfort, and if your surgeon catches it in this stage, medications can treat it. So, if you experience any unexplained breast tenderness months after surgery, the best plan is to call and talk to your doctor. Again, if we catch the process early before the breast hardens, it can likely be treated with antibiotics.
5. Implant Malposition
Much like capsular contracture (mentioned above), implant malposition can occur and become detectable at three-months post-op. Although our hope is always for the breast and the implant to “read” as a single unit, occasionally an implant can drop below the breast or move toward the armpit. The way resolution for surgically fixing this will depend on the exact circumstances and will vary per patient, but our surgeons will go over your treatment options carefully. The good news is that these complications happen so rarely in our practice that we cover any surgical costs you might have otherwise incurred.
6. Implant Rupture
The usual cause of an implant rupture is when the implant folds over and ends up rubbing up against itself, causing a hole or tear in the shell of the implant that allows silicone gel filler material to leak from the shell.
Two types of implant ruptures can occur:
When it comes to implant rupture, it’s important to recognize that there is a lot of misinformation floating around online. You are not likely to rupture an implant during a car accident or mammogram. Reputable surgeons will tell you that we don’t even have good statistics on the rate of silicone implant rupture because often when it happens, the silicone stays in the pocket and requires no further intervention. We call these “silent” ruptures.
We do know, however, that saline implants rupture at a 0.5% rate per year.
The FDA encourages women to have MRI examinations every 2-5 years to detect the possibility of a silent rupture and ensure breast implants are fully intact. Your surgeon can avoid the risk of rupture by selecting an implant specific to each patient’s anatomy. To make this easier, implant manufacturers today make many different sizes and shapes making it easier to custom-fit to your body.
The bottom line is that the risk of implant rupture has been greatly reduced – even over the past decade. The key to reducing the risk of implant rupture is contacting your doctor immediately if you experience anything unusual.
7. Breastfeeding after Breast Augmentation
Women very rarely experience breastfeeding complications after a breast augmentation procedure. The most common cause here is nipple numbness. When the nipple is numb, suckling, which normally sends the signal to have the milk drop down, may not be enough to stimulate milk flow.
On average, there’s roughly a 90% chance you will be able to breastfeed after surgery, on the assumption that you were able to breastfeed before the surgery.
Typically, the breast implant is inserted under the muscle (it can be placed above the muscle as well) but doing so should not affect the direct relationship between the breast glands and the nipple. A perioral incision (around the colored portion surrounding the nipple) has a higher chance of difficulty breastfeeding.
However, we have also seen even women experiencing nipple numbness, who are completely able to breastfeed. Because breast implant surgery does not interrupt the ducts or glands that carry breast milk, breastfeeding is perfectly possible in the clear majority of cases.
How to Minimize Breast Augmentation Risks
While all medical procedures involve some level of risk, a breast augmentation no exception, there are several things you can do to reduce your risk of complications before and after surgery. But there are several steps you can take to increase your odds of having a successful procedure:
Select a plastic surgeon.
One of the most important ways to reduce risk is to select a plastic surgeon to ensure that your doctors have extensive surgical training, has passed rigorous testing and is current on all the latest surgical techniques and advancements of patient safety. It’s best to choose a doctor with both general surgical training and experience specifically with plastic surgery.
The skilled surgeons at Austin-Weston have performed thousands of breast augmentation procedures, with more than 75 years of combined experience, and voted “top doctors” and “best of” Northern Virginia and Washington DC.
Do your due diligence and research beforehand.
Become an educated consumer by researching your plastic surgeon, the surgical facility, and the procedure itself. Know what to expect from the beginning of your cosmetic surgery journey, to ensure you are fully prepared and comfortable with your decision.
Never hesitate to ask questions along the way.
Arrive at your consultation with a list of questions for your surgeon. Our surgeons and expert staff are more than happy to answer all questions to your satisfaction and encourage patients to schedule as many consultation appointments needed until you are completely comfortable with your decision to commit to surgery. Download our consultation checklist for a list of suggested questions and suggestions to discuss at your consultation to ensure you are as thorough as possible.
symptoms of ruptured internal stitches
Getting stitches is a relatively standard and straightforward procedure, but there are some risks associated with wounds. The skin protects your body from infection. Cuts or lacerations can become infected before you get to the doctor and even after it is properly cleaned and closed. Your doctor may give you antibiotics if they are concerned about infection or if the cut is on your hand.
You may have scarring from your suturing or limited movement of the surrounding skin. This can be uncomfortable and feel like your skin is being pulled.
A bulging scar is called a keloid. Keloids can be uncomfortable and itchy and may cause cosmetic concerns.
If stitches are used internally, there are additional risks. Sometimes tissues can pull apart without healing correctly. This can easily go unnoticed and lead to health complications such as hernia.
Preparation
Before your doctor begins to give you stitches, they will first need to know about the cut. They will want to know how the injury happened, if they should be looking for a piece of glass or wood, for example, inside the wound, if it has been contaminated, and when it happened. Your doctor will additionally need to know your allergies, current medications, and how long it has been since your last tetanus shot. All of this information will help your doctor determine the type of stitches you need and the best way to help your wound heal.
Your doctor will need to check your sense of touch around the cut, your pulse, and whether your muscle control is normal. This will help them determine the extent of your injury. They may need to evaluate how deep a cut is or use a probing instrument to check the wound for bits of glass, dirt, or metal. In rare cases, your doctor will order an x-ray to ensure there are no fragments in the wound.
What to expect
It usually takes only a few minutes to place stitches. First, any bleeding must be under control. Then, the doctor or nurse will numb the wound using a numbing gel or injecting local anesthetic around the wound. Your doctor or nurse will use sterile water and gauze to rinse and clean the wound.
The doctor will stitch your wound with sterile thread attached to a tiny, curved needle. The type of thread will depend on the kind of wound. If the cut is especially deep, your doctor will first repair the deeper layers of skin, and then the surface skin.
Recovery
In general, you should not get your stitches wet, and you may need to apply antibiotic ointment and change dressings regularly. It is best to keep the injured area elevated above your heart for the first 24-48 hours to reduce swelling and encourage healing.
Stitches usually come out within two weeks. Depending on the wound’s location, it may be shorter. Stitches on the face can be removed within three to five days to help minimize scarring. Stitches over areas that move, such as joints, may need the full two weeks. Some types of suture materials are able to dissolve once healing is complete.
Removing stitches is a simple process. Each suture has a knot on top of the skin, so the doctor or nurse can gently lift the suture tails at that knot and cut the suture loop. The ends then slip out painlessly.
how hard is it to tear internal stitches
Getting stitches is a relatively standard and straightforward procedure, but there are some risks associated with wounds. The skin protects your body from infection. Cuts or lacerations can become infected before you get to the doctor and even after it is properly cleaned and closed. Your doctor may give you antibiotics if they are concerned about infection or if the cut is on your hand.
You may have scarring from your suturing or limited movement of the surrounding skin. This can be uncomfortable and feel like your skin is being pulled.
A bulging scar is called a keloid. Keloids can be uncomfortable and itchy and may cause cosmetic concerns.
If stitches are used internally, there are additional risks. Sometimes tissues can pull apart without healing correctly. This can easily go unnoticed and lead to health complications such as hernia.
Preparation
Before your doctor begins to give you stitches, they will first need to know about the cut. They will want to know how the injury happened, if they should be looking for a piece of glass or wood, for example, inside the wound, if it has been contaminated, and when it happened. Your doctor will additionally need to know your allergies, current medications, and how long it has been since your last tetanus shot. All of this information will help your doctor determine the type of stitches you need and the best way to help your wound heal.
Your doctor will need to check your sense of touch around the cut, your pulse, and whether your muscle control is normal. This will help them determine the extent of your injury. They may need to evaluate how deep a cut is or use a probing instrument to check the wound for bits of glass, dirt, or metal. In rare cases, your doctor will order an x-ray to ensure there are no fragments in the wound.
What to expect
It usually takes only a few minutes to place stitches. First, any bleeding must be under control. Then, the doctor or nurse will numb the wound using a numbing gel or injecting local anesthetic around the wound. Your doctor or nurse will use sterile water and gauze to rinse and clean the wound.
The doctor will stitch your wound with sterile thread attached to a tiny, curved needle. The type of thread will depend on the kind of wound. If the cut is especially deep, your doctor will first repair the deeper layers of skin, and then the surface skin.
Recovery
In general, you should not get your stitches wet, and you may need to apply antibiotic ointment and change dressings regularly. It is best to keep the injured area elevated above your heart for the first 24-48 hours to reduce swelling and encourage healing.
Stitches usually come out within two weeks. Depending on the wound’s location, it may be shorter. Stitches on the face can be removed within three to five days to help minimize scarring. Stitches over areas that move, such as joints, may need the full two weeks. Some types of suture materials are able to dissolve once healing is complete.
Removing stitches is a simple process. Each suture has a knot on top of the skin, so the doctor or nurse can gently lift the suture tails at that knot and cut the suture loop. The ends then slip out painlessly.
how do i know if i pulled a stitch.
On average, about 70 thousand children under 18 end up in the emergency room every day. The reasons vary to a great degree, but chances are your kid will be there at some point.
Kids often end up there with a cut, wound, or abrasion which needs stitches. But parents can be gun-shy about taking the trip because it’s not clear if they can handle the injury alone.
Let’s learn about some telltale sign for the question, “Do I need stitches?”
1. Direct Pressure Doesn’t Stop Bleeding
If you have added extra bandages to the wound, you are doing the right thing. Add gauze, don’t change it.
But if it keeps bleeding through each new one, you might need stitches. If direct pressure won’t stop the bleeding, get help.
2. Spurting Blood
When you cut an artery, the blood comes out in spurts in time with your pulse. This will require stitches to repair in most cases.
3. Depth of Cut
A cut can heal with relative ease if it is shallower than ¼ inch in most places. But once you get deeper than that, the skin starts to pull apart whenever moved.
Platelets thicken the blood, and allow it to dry. Dried blood acts like glue holding the skin together until the wound heals. But if movement reopens it, the healing process takes longer.
4. If Skin Won’t Easily Shut, Do I Need Stitches
Short answer, yes. The skin should close up with a small amount of pressure. As stated above, this helps the blood turn to glue.
If the skin won’t hold together, sutures will do the trick.
5. I See White Fatty Tissue
You definitely shouldn’t see anything that doesn’t look like skin. If you do, you have gone quite deep.
Your body will need extra help getting that wound to heal.
6. The Cut Is on a Joint
Joints, as you know, have less insulation. They have less because insulation prevents free movement.
The fingers, elbows, and knees have less skin coverage than most solid bones. Most cuts or injuries in these places need a medical examination at the very least.
7. Increasing Redness and Swelling
This can be a sign of something being in the early stages of infection. Inflammation needs special attention.
That may mean a salt water bath, or it may mean stitches.
8. Puss Started Oozing Out
Puss is always a bad sign. Your body is fighting harder than it should be, and something is in there that doesn’t belong.
Don’t squeeze it, and don’t try to handle it yourself. Hands and nails are the filthiest places on your body.
Get to a doctor so the wound can be cleaned, sutured, and bandaged with sterile equipment. They may also prescribe antibiotics.
9. Wounded by Something Rusty or Jagged
If you don’t know what caused the injury, get to the doctor for stitches. Especially in the case of punctures.
In many cases, you will need stitches and a tetanus shot. Antibiotics or other treatments may be necessary as well.