What is a suture granuloma after eyelid surgery?
A granuloma is a small inflammatory nodule that forms when tissue reacts to buried suture material, and it is usually manageable once identified.
The body sometimes walls off buried suture material with inflammatory cells, producing a firm, pea-like nodule near the incision. This reaction can appear weeks or even months after surgery. It is a recognized, generally benign response rather than a sign the operation failed.
How it is handled
Small granulomas may shrink with observation or anti-inflammatory treatment, including steroid injection in selected cases. When a nodule persists, keeps growing, or discharges, removing the offending suture material usually settles the reaction.
Redness, tenderness, or discharge can also point to infection, which needs different treatment, so self-diagnosis is unreliable. Reactions to suture material differ from person to person; an oculoplastic specialist can confirm what the lump is and choose the right step.
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