[Chronic Pseudomonas infection around a permanent suture after rectus diastasis repair]

Area of Science:

• Surgical innovation
• Infectious disease
• Biomaterials science

Background:

• Rectus diastasis (RD) repair often involves sutures.
• Non-absorbable sutures may lead to long-term complications.
• Chronic infections are a potential risk associated with permanent surgical materials.

Purpose of the Study:

• To highlight a case of chronic infection secondary to permanent sutures used in rectus diastasis repair.
• To emphasize the risk of biofilm formation and persistent infection on non-absorbable sutures.
• To recommend suture types for minimizing complications in RD repair.

Main Methods:

• Case report detailing a patient's experience with rectus diastasis repair.
• Identification of Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection.
• Surgical intervention involving removal of suture material.
• Histopathological examination for suture granulomas.

Main Results:

• The patient developed multiple suture granulomas over three years post-surgery.
• Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection was confirmed in relation to the sutures.
• Complete surgical removal of all visible suture material resulted in clinical resolution.
• Biofilm formation was implicated in the persistent infection.

Conclusions:

• Permanent sutures in rectus diastasis repair can cause chronic infections and granulomas.
• Non-absorbable sutures are prone to biofilm formation, increasing infection risk.
• Slowly absorbable sutures are recommended for rectus diastasis repair to reduce long-term complications.