15 mos. following my triple cabg and after 7 sternal repeated abscesses, surgery recovered a 15 in piece of black stitching - since then no more infections.  Also, during home tx for the 3rd infection, I recovered a 5 in. piece of green dental floss-like stitch.  What gives?
Hello and thank you for your question. Surgeons use two general types of stitching when doing a surgery. One type is supposed to dissolve and be reabsorbed by the body after the tissue heals. The other type is supposed to stay in place and not dissolve but be walled off and tolerated by the body. One example of the more permanent type is the wires that are used to close the sternum after a bypass surgery. In either case, the body can reject these sutures or infection can occur around them. I am so sorry that you had these complications. Thank you for using Chat Doctor.