Contents:
- Medical Video: Acne Scar Removal @ Pulse Light Clinic London
- The right time to remove stitches
- Can you remove the seams yourself at home?
Medical Video: Acne Scar Removal @ Pulse Light Clinic London
Most small cuts or cuts will usually heal on their own. You just need to keep it clean and protected from dirt. But it is different with open skin wounds, such as sharp gun puncture wounds, gunshot wounds, motorized accidents, or injuries obtained from surgical procedures. This type of serious trauma may require sutures to heal the wound. But when can the wound stitch be opened?
The right time to remove stitches
When a surgical suture is removed depends on the condition of the suture itself. If the two sides of the linked tissue are firm enough and recover well without any signs of infection, the suture can be removed. If the suture is opened too early, the wound can reopen and potentially become infected, or scar tissue can appear worse.
How long a stitch can be removed will also depend on the location of the stitch. For example, stitches in the knee or arm joints will need to "stay" longer than stitches on the face or thigh, because the skin in the joints almost always experiences pressure every time it is bent and stretched to move - sitting, standing, walking, typing, grasping, and so on.
Here is a general guide to knowing when wound stitches can be removed:
- Face and head: 4-5 days
- Neck: 7 days
- Arm and back of hand: 7 days
- Scalp, chest, back, stomach, legs (thighs, calves): 7-10 days
- Palms, soles, fingers or toes: 12-14 days
- Joints (knee or elbow): 10-14 days
- Caesarean section: 4-7 days (vaginal episiotomy usually melts on its own in a few weeks, so it doesn't need to be removed)
Consult with your doctor exactly how long you have to wait before releasing your stitches. While waiting, keep the stitch area clean and dry. Clean the wound area regularly, and replace the wound dressing with a new one if it looks dirty. If you will replace the wound dressing, make sure you wash your hands first.
Also observe signs of infection around seams, such as swelling, redness, suppuration, or areas of skin that feel hot. If these symptoms arise, the sign that your stitches may not be opened. Meet your doctor as soon as possible for treatment of infection.
Can you remove the seams yourself at home?
Removing wound stitches is an easy process. Even so, you should not try it yourself at home. Removing your own sutures has the potential to cause infection if you don't know what steps to take and you won't have sterile scissors or tweezers. In addition, the wound sometimes cannot heal completely and may open again someday.
The stitches should be removed by the doctor so that they can ensure that the wound has healed properly and there are no signs of infection to worry about. If you try to open a suture yourself at home, the doctor will not be able to monitor the progress of the wound. Doctors can also give tips on preventing infections or scarring if your stitches have to be removed prematurely.
If the doctor discovers that the suture wound has not healed, or it may even fester, the doctor needs to disassemble and clean it before it is sewn back to speed healing.
