View Full Version : When to pull stitches?
I have 19 surface stitches (and 8 beneath the skin-absorb able) in my neck. I got them last Saturday night/ Sunday morning 7/8, 7/9. When can I pull 'em? They are bugging me because I can't shave around them and it itches like crazy.
They usually itch. Didn't doctor say when? Doctors usually remove it unless they give you the stitches that dissolves.
Meh go for it, better scar, chicks dig scars.
Kidding, yeah doc should have said something on when you return to office to have them removed.
They said 10-14, and I'm getting impatient.
I don't need another medical bill to go along with it and they're easy to pull, just have never had an injury this deep/severe.
Meh go for it, better scar, chicks dig scars.
Kidding, yeah doc should have said something on when you return to office to have them removed.
I'm gonna have a ginormious scar anyway. Just gonna say that I escaped from the cartels when they were trying to behead me. :D
Fentonite
07-17-2012, 19:04
They said 10-14, and I'm getting impatient.
I don't need another medical bill to go along with it and they're easy to pull, just have never had an injury this deep/severe.
Leave them in as directed. Wound dehiscence is not good. Most places do not charge to remove sutures they put in.
StagLefty
07-17-2012, 19:04
Surface stitches I always cut with a clipper and pulled them out with tweezers.You do probably need to wait until it's time though. [Beer]
Post a picture of the sutures/wound. Only way to be sure.
But 10 days is a tiny bit early usually - unless you have been coating it in zinc and taking care of it extremely well.
Curiosity killed the cat, how the hell did you end up with some many stitches?
I would leave them. the last thing you want is for it to split back open and you end up getting a bigger scar or having to pay more medical bills
blacklabel
07-17-2012, 19:21
Yeah, I'd leave'em too.
Curiosity killed the cat, how the hell did you end up with some many stitches?
I went out to play in the rain/mud with my buddy's ATV. I didn't take into account that the rain severely reduced my visibility and I didn't see what was coming. I have made that turn before, but the rain made my range too short.
In short:
I took this:
http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p302/mchl_wood/2012-04-28_18-04-39_570.jpg
Went THROUGH this (post repair pic):
http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p302/mchl_wood/imagejpeg952_3.jpg
And did this (graphic):
http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p302/mchl_wood/imagejpeg952_2.jpg
Here's the finished product:
http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p302/mchl_wood/Untitled-1.jpg
If I wasn't so 'tactically padded' I'd be dead.
Great-Kazoo
07-17-2012, 19:37
They said 10-14, and I'm getting impatient.
I don't need another medical bill to go along with it and they're easy to pull, just have never had an injury this deep/severe.
Removal should be part of the original service. I usually yank mine after 15 days. Only after coating the stitches with some vitamin E lotion for a few days. I have some extra surgical scissors for a clean cut if needed.
theGinsue
07-17-2012, 19:41
Yup, leave 'em in for 14 days and not just due to scarring issues.
Remove them too early and you run serious risks. This increases with a wound to the neck. Lots of straight flow to the brain & heart which are more susceptible to infection,etc. than most other tissue/organs. The consequences can easily become deadly.
Now, after 14 days, if the wound is healing well, you should have no problems removing them yourself if you can see what your doing.
patrick0685
07-17-2012, 19:43
Holy shit dude, you are lucky to be alive for sure
Yup, leave 'em in for 14 days and not just due to scarring issues.
Remove them too early and you run serious risks. This increases with a wound to the neck. Lots of straight flow to the brain & heart which are more susceptible to infection,etc. than most other tissue/organs. The consequences can easily become deadly.
Now, after 14 days, if the wound is healing well, you should have no problems removing them yourself if you can see what your doing.
Yeah, I didn't cut anything that important, and it's healing well.
What they said, 2 weeks absolute minimum. And the Dr. (or nurse) should remove them as part of the original service, it's a follow-up visit. Dont fawk around in the interest of being manly, that's how you got in this fix in the first place, right?
Good god man, that's looks it hurt just a little bit. Glad you are okay and nothing major happend.
Dang you got lucky you didn't cut your jugular vein or carotid artery.
Dang you got lucky you didn't cut your jugular vein or carotid artery.
5mm.
Good god man, that's looks it hurt just a little bit. Glad you are okay and nothing major happend.
Thanks. And suprisingly it didn't hurt. Felt like a pinch or getting a shot.
The Heretic
07-17-2012, 19:57
Damn that shits knarly bro! Your gonna have the high card in alot of scar contests!
Tinelement
07-17-2012, 20:03
Holy crap!!! Seriously lucky bro!
Been through a few strands on sleds before. No fun. But nothing close to that injury!
I'd go back in an have them stitch it up one more time for good measure! [ROFL1]
Glad you are ok!! [Beer]
Holy shitballz dude! Thats not a flesh wound...
josh7328
07-17-2012, 20:19
WHAT THE FUUUUUUUUCCCCC........!?!! seriously, though, you gotta make up some crazy ass knife fighting story to go with that one. haha! You have any daughters? You need one, now! Oh the fun you could have!
Byte Stryke
07-17-2012, 20:20
Ive never heard of an office charging to remove the sutures.
Best to go back to the original office, have them give it all a lookover...
Doc might be missing a wedding ring or something.
WHAT THE FUUUUUUUUCCCCC........!?!! seriously, though, you gotta make up some crazy ass knife fighting story to go with that one. haha! You have any daughters? You need one, now! Oh the fun you could have!
Ooooh, no. Kids are evil, the world's most widespread STD... :D
I do have a niece and significantly younger sisters though.
Ive never heard of an office charging to remove the sutures.
Best to go back to the original office, have them give it all a lookover...
Doc might be missing a wedding ring or something.
That's my gold stash for SHTF :)
josh7328
07-17-2012, 20:25
Ive never heard of an office charging to remove the sutures.
Best to go back to the original office, have them give it all a lookover...
Doc might be missing a wedding ring or something.
haha he had to use it to stop the jugular squirts. now it's time to get it back! [ROFL1]
Not_A_Llama
07-17-2012, 20:38
Jesus fuck.
argonstrom
07-17-2012, 20:48
That's about as close to a Colombian Necktie as possible. Damn, man.
MileHighOutlaw
07-17-2012, 21:43
DUDE!!! You seriously need to leave those in for a few weeks. I have had roughly a 100 plus stitches in my lifetime and that my friend is a doozy of a wound. Yes they itch like crazy what I found to help was to coat then with a antibiotic to keep them wet. That depends on the type of sutures though. Glad to hear you are o.k.
Is that really the place where you want to risk it opening up again because you got impatient and decided to rip them out one week into a 3 month recommended stay??
Is that really the place where you want to risk it opening up again because you got impatient and decided to rip them out one week into a 3 month recommended stay??
No, in that case, but that's not the case. I got these installed on the 8th and my 'recommended stay' is 10-14 days. Since I'm about to be at the 10 day stamp, I would LIKE them out, but not entirely necessary.
90 days is a helluva lot longer than 14.... Where did you get 3 months?
Hell with that wound I'd leave em in for 90 days...wouldn't want my head flopping off my neck!!!
You're lucky to be here dude..
No, in that case, but that's not the case. I got these installed on the 8th and my 'recommended stay' is 10-14 days. Since I'm about to be at the 10 day stamp, I would LIKE them out, but not entirely necessary.
90 days is a helluva lot longer than 14.... Where did you get 3 months?
Thought I'd read in an earlier post you were due to get them out in October.
Surface stitches I always cut with a clipper and pulled them out with tweezers.You do probably need to wait until it's time though. [Beer]
Agreed... Plus no co-pay for the office visit.
GhostRider
07-18-2012, 06:38
yupp, let them remove them but I always go back and check myself to see if they left any little parts, it has happened to me several times and it always is real sore and get infected when they leave some.
Fuck the co-pay or the charge for the office visit. With a neck wound like that I would not take any chances on taking them out myself...
Let the Doc take care of you on this one.
Chad4000
07-18-2012, 09:11
I went out to play in the rain/mud with my buddy's ATV. I didn't take into account that the rain severely reduced my visibility and I didn't see what was coming. I have made that turn before, but the rain made my range too short.
In short:
I took this:
http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p302/mchl_wood/2012-04-28_18-04-39_570.jpg
Went THROUGH this (post repair pic):
http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p302/mchl_wood/imagejpeg952_3.jpg
And did this (graphic):
http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p302/mchl_wood/imagejpeg952_2.jpg
Here's the finished product:
http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p302/mchl_wood/Untitled-1.jpg
If I wasn't so 'tactically padded' I'd be dead.
HOLY SHIT...... yeah leave those bitches in... holy crap bro.. glad youre still around...
DD977GM2
07-18-2012, 12:47
I usually wait at least 10 days. I have had well over 100 stitches in my lifetime
and I can only recall 2 times I went back to the doc to have them removed.
Rest of the time I have done it myself. 10-14 days is usually the benchmark.
If it looks as though the skin is growing back onver them, then take em out.
DD977GM2
07-18-2012, 12:49
Leave them in as directed. Wound dehiscence is not good. Most places do not charge to remove sutures they put in.
This is very true. Its part of the complete care from 1st visit or whatever the nifty term is these days.
Small follow up:
Pulled stitches at day 14 and everything is healing well. Much better than the constant itching BS. Pretty easy to do, aside from operating in the mirror, but anyone that needs to remove sutures needs to consult medical counsel before doing so.
Went out earlier and checked out the fence. Absolutely amazing that it didn't turn out worse. Michael jerky hanging off the wire and all. Fu%& that, learned mine.
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