What is a suture granuloma
William Taylor
Published Mar 17, 2026
Suture granuloma is a mass forming benign lesion that develops at the site of surgery as a foreign body reaction to non-absorbable suture material.
Do suture granulomas go away?
“Suture granulomas can resolve on their own, and simply monitoring it or using an anti-inflammatory agent may be all that’s needed,” says Dr. Mamelak, our dual board-certified dermatologist. In other cases, where the growth continues to get worse or becomes painful, the suture and granuloma can both be removed.
How common is suture granuloma?
Silk sutures are non-absorbable yarn which has a particularly high incidence of granuloma formation of 0.6–7.1 % [2, 3].
How are suture granulomas treated?
“Suture granulomas can resolve on their own and simply monitoring it or using an anti-inflammatory agent may be all that’s needed,” says Dr. Mamelak. However, if the growth is painful, continues to grow, or is an aesthetic concern, the suture (and granuloma) can simply be removed. Suture granulomas may reoccur.How long does suture granuloma last?
The occurrence of delayed suture granulomas has varied about from 4 months to 7 years in the literature [3,7,8]. Here, we present a 30-year suture granuloma.
How is suture granuloma diagnosed?
The diagnosis of suture granuloma is provided by surgical excision of the lesion and histopathological examination. The foreign body is detectable at the center of the granuloma under polarized light, surrounded by multinucleated giant cells and macrophages.
How do you get rid of bumps from stitches?
Occasionally a red bump or pustule forms along the suture line when a buried stitch works its way to the surface. This is only temporary, and applying a warm compress to the spot usually helps it resolve.
Can dissolvable stitches cause infection?
Unlike with permanent sutures, dissolvable ones are much less likely to create stitch reactions such as infection or granulomas. Signs of infection include: redness. swelling.Is scar tissue a hard lump?
When skin is injured, fibrous tissue called scar tissue forms over the wound to repair and protect the injury. In some cases, extra scar tissue grows, forming smooth, hard growths called keloids. Keloids can be much larger than the original wound.
Why is there a lump in my scar?Why does my scar feel lumpy? You may feel bumps and lumps under the skin. This is normal and is due to the dissolvable sutures under the surface of the skin. These deep sutures take months to completely dissolve and the scar will not be smooth until this time.
Article first time published onWhat does Seroma look like?
In many cases, a seroma will have the appearance of a swollen lump, like a large cyst. It may also be tender or sore when touched. A clear discharge from the surgical incision is common when a seroma is present. You may have an infection if the discharge becomes bloody, changes color, or develops an odor.
What is the hard lump under my incision?
A seroma is a sterile collection of fluid under the skin, usually at the site of a surgical incision. Fluid builds up under the skin where tissue was removed. It may form soon after your surgery.
Can scar tissue turn cancerous?
The scar tissue carcinoma is a rare disease which arises from the floor of unstable scars, chronic fistulae, ulcera and radiation injuries.
Does a heating pad help scar tissue?
When to use heat Pre-heating can also help you avoid injuries from exercising with cold muscles. It can be especially helpful if you’re dealing with a chronic problem, like a chronic rotator cuff injury or tendonitis, because the heat loosens up stiff scar tissue.
Do dissolvable stitches ever not dissolve?
The time it takes for dissolvable or absorbable stitches to disappear can vary. Most types should start to dissolve or fall out within a week or two, although it may be a few weeks before they disappear completely.
Should you put Neosporin on stitches?
The wound and the stitches that hold it together may be cleansed gently with mild soap and water after 24 hours. Twice daily washing may decrease the risk of infection. Sometimes, your doctor may recommend the use of an antibiotic ointment like bacitracin or Neosporin to help minimize infection.
What happens if a piece of stitch is left in the skin?
If the stitches are left in the skin for longer than is needed, they are more likely to leave a permanent scar. Nonabsorbable sutures also are ideal for internal wounds that need to heal for a prolonged time.
What is a suture abscess?
A stitch abscess, which is an abscess that forms due to infection of sutures, is a noteworthy complication after various kinds of surgical procedures (1-7). Using non-absorbable silk sutures increases the risk of infection because they react with the connective tissue, causing adhesions around the stitch (5).
When should I worry about a lump under my skin?
People should seek medical attention for a lump under the skin if: they notice any changes in the size or appearance of the lump. the lump feels painful or tender. the lump appears red or inflamed.
How long does it take for sutured skin to heal?
How long do sutures take to heal? Stitches are often removed after 5 to 10 days, but this depends on where they are. Check with the doctor or nurse to find out. Dissolvable sutures may disappear in a week or 2, but some take several months.
Is a seroma serious?
A seroma is a build-up of clear fluid inside the body. It happens most often after surgery. A seroma is not often dangerous, but it can cause pain and discomfort. If you have a seroma, your doctor or care provider can offer advice or relief.
Can I drain my own seroma?
Most seromas can be reabsorbed into your body, sometimes it can take almost a month. However, in severe cases it can take a year and you may experience hardening once the seroma heals. Manual lymphatic drainage is the most recommended treatment by surgeons to prevent and drain seromas without a medical intervention.
Why is my surgical incision raised?
A hypertrophic scar is a thick raised scar. It’s an abnormal response to wound healing in which extra connective tissue forms within the original wound area. The result a raised scar. Normally, a small wound to the top layer of your skin heals nicely.
Why is it hard under my scar?
In scar tissue, collagen proteins grow in a single direction rather than in a multidirectional pattern, as they do in healthy skin. This structure makes scar tissue less elastic , which may cause it to feel tight or to restrict a person’s range of movement.
What does infected incision look like?
Redness: Some redness at the incision site is normal. The red color should decrease over time. If it becomes redder, it may be infected. Red streaks radiating from the incision to the surrounding skin are another sign of infection.
How do you dissolve internal scar tissue?
- Physical Therapy. Physical Therapy can be useful for breaking up scar tissue around a joint. …
- Laser Therapy. …
- Corticosteroid Injections. …
- Shockwave Therapy to Break Up Scar Tissue. …
- Surgery to Get Rid of Scar Tissue.
Can scar tissue develop years after surgery?
Adhesions typically begin to form within the first few days after surgery, but they may not produce symptoms for months or even years. As scar tissue begins to restrict motion of the small intestines, passing food through the digestive system becomes progressively more difficult.
How do you get rid of scar tissue under the skin?
Treatments include surgery to remove the scar, steroid injections, or silicone sheets to flatten the scar. Smaller keloids can be treated using cryotherapy (freezing therapy using liquid nitrogen). You can also prevent keloid formation by using pressure treatment or gel pads with silicone when you are injured.
Is there a machine that breaks scar tissue?
Astym is a tool used to break up scar tissue and damaged soft tissue to promote regeneration of healthy tissue to improve one’s function.
Does ice help scar tissue?
Generally, ice is not used to treat chronic soft tissue injuries, as often, these types of injuries are a result of improper healing of the original injury, altering biomechanics, and leading to scar tissue formation and adhesions to form between different tissues, and secondary or compensatory injuries.