Suturing is a procedure without which almost no operation can be done. It is also carried out in case of injury.

The doctor applies and removes sutures, but they are necessary for tissue fusion. On what day the sutures are removed after surgery and how exactly depends on a combination of factors.

For example, on the part of the body on which they are applied, on tissue damage and the characteristics of the recovery of the human body. This is also influenced, among other things, by the patient’s age.

Regardless of the nature of the wound, suture material is removed from it only when its edges have reliably fused. But it is important not to delay the removal of suture threads, as this can result in serious problems if these threads are not removed in a timely manner. When worn longer than necessary, they grow into the skin, which subsequently leaves noticeable scars on it. In addition, there is a danger of suppuration of the suture.

Types and features of seams

Depending on the wound, the patient may receive one of two types of sutures - each with its own advantages and disadvantages:

Regardless of the type, the sutures must meet certain requirements: not interfere with blood circulation in the tissues of the wound, not lose strength until it heals, and not leave cavities in it.

On what day after surgery are sutures removed?

There are many factors that determine when exactly after surgery the sutures are removed. The only thing that can be said unequivocally about this is after the edges of the wound have fused, and this depends on how serious it is, where it is located and what the characteristics of the patient’s body are. The longest recovery time is required for older people and those whose bodies are weakened by illness.

Factors influencing the timing of suture removal:

It is impossible to give a definite answer to the question of how many days after surgery the sutures are removed. In each individual case, the timing is individual. In order to clarify them, you need to talk to your doctor and soberly assess the condition of your body. We can only talk about approximate withdrawal periods taken from statistics and medical literature:

• for surgery on the face or neck - removed after 4-5 days;
• on the head - after 6 days;
• in the chest areas - after 10−14 days;
• from the operated foot or lower leg - after 10-12 days;
• for local operations of the abdominal region - after 6-8 days;
• after amputations, they are removed after 12 days.

On average, if we take into account statistics, stitches are most often removed after 6-9 days. This process itself is carried out by pulling the thread knot upward until the thread hidden in the tissue appears above the skin and is cut. For long wounds, the first half of the sutures is removed first, and after a few days the second half is removed.

How to calculate removal time based on suture material

The duration may vary depending on the suture threads used. The doctor selects for them the material that meets the requirements for healing each specific wound. It is based on the material he chose for sewing it up that one can draw conclusions about the approximate timing. You need to focus on how long the threads can hold the wound. In addition, suture threads have other characteristics, depending on their type:

Calculating the approximate time for removing sutures based on the materials from which they are made is a difficult matter. It is much easier to achieve this by talking to your doctor. However, it is useful to know some parameters of the suture material. For example, if you have a wound on your foot or leg, which is stitched up with threads made from ordinary catgut, you may need to question the qualifications of the doctor who operated on you. The fact is that these places on the legs are relatively problematic and require long-term care, and catgut is not strong and durable.

Removing stitches yourself at home

The best solution for removing threads from a wound is to go to the doctor, but there are rare situations in which this is difficult. If you are careful and have some knowledge, you can remove the threads yourself, but if they have grown into the tissue, forget about it and consult a doctor. The danger of removing stitches at home lies in the fact that you can introduce an infection into the healing wound. But if you decide, then prepare everything you need:

• tweezers;
• sharp scissors;
• gauze napkin with adhesive tape and bandages;
• iodine and hydrogen peroxide;
• a saucepan with boiling water and medical alcohol.

First, be sure to sterilize all metal instruments that may come into contact with the site of the healing wound - this requires boiling water and alcohol. After rinsing the tweezers and scissors in boiling water and treating them with alcohol, lightly pour iodine onto the operated area. Next, you need to carefully grab the knot of thread with tweezers and smoothly pull it up. A fragment of thread should appear from the channel.

If nothing works, the thread may have grown in, and in this case you should not continue to remove it yourself. Provided that the thread still stretches, cut it with scissors so that there is no knot left. Then, using tweezers, grab the thread from the edge of the seam opposite the edge of the cut thread and gently pull. Important: the thread passing through the fabric must be clean, otherwise all independent manipulations must be abandoned immediately.

After removing the thread from the wound, treat it again, preferably with hydrogen peroxide. After this, use a plaster and a sterile bandage - tightly, but without excessively squeezing, cover the area from which the stitches were removed.

Practicing such home medicine is at your own peril and risk. By doing this, you expose yourself to the danger of infecting the wound, and therefore it is better to entrust the removal of sutures to a specialist, based on the described time frame and the prescriptions of your doctor.

As a rule, such fixation of human tissue has its own removal period. It may vary depending on the part of the body where the suture is placed. Typically, there are three deadlines:

· on average – 7−9 days;

· head/neck – 6−7 days;

· lower leg, foot and chest surgery – 10-14 days.

It must be remembered that much depends on the nature of the wound and the age, immunity and regenerative abilities of the victim. So, older people should wear any stitch for at least two weeks. The same applies to seriously ill people whose bodies are weakened. In any case, it is advisable to consult a doctor before removal.

And most importantly, stitches can be removed only when the edges of the wound have already grown together. Otherwise, there is a risk that she will break up again. And then only on condition that the wound is not inflamed: in this case, you need to run to the doctor.

By the way, you should not touch the sutures from serious abdominal operations yourself - this is very dangerous. At home, you can only remove sutures from small wounds.

How to remove stitches yourself

For this you will need:

· sharp scissors – surgical or manicure;

· tweezers;

· gauze pad, bandages, plaster;

· iodine, medical alcohol, antibiotic ointment;

· boiling water and a vessel for it.

First you need to sterilize the instruments - boil and thoroughly treat with alcohol. To be sure, you can also soak them in alcohol for half an hour. If you are wondering whether it hurts to remove stitches, the answer is: not very much. As a rule, a person experiences mild discomfort. But this is if the seams have not grown in. In this case, only a doctor can help.

Then the process of removing the sutures begins. Accuracy is important here. You must first fill the location of the seams with iodine, carefully treating them on all sides. Then, very carefully, use tweezers to lift the thread above the skin so that a clean piece of thread appears from the canal. This is what needs to be cut. It is very important not to leave a dirty thread on the tip, which is closer to the skin - this can lead to infection.

After cutting the thread from one edge of the seam, you need to grab the other edge with tweezers and carefully pull the thread out. Under no circumstances should dirty thread pass through the fabric. Only clean! After removing all the stitches, it is necessary to re-treat the wound and cover it with a sterile bandage. It is advisable to treat with antibiotic ointment.

A well-sutured wound is the key to its good healing. After any operation, the wound is closed with sutures. For this purpose, special medical suture material is used. Each layer of the wound is stitched with a separate row of stitches. The operation is completed by suturing the skin. As a rule, this is done using threads. After the wound has healed, the skin sutures must be removed.

On what day are stitches removed?

The time frame for removing sutures varies from several days to 2-3 weeks. This depends on several factors:

• Localization of the wound. If the wound is located on the abdomen (for example after caesarean section or appendicitis) terms are 5-8 days, on the hand and fingers 10-12 days, with localization in the joint area– up to 2 weeks.
• Condition of skin and tissues. If the edges of the wound are severely injured and poorly adapted to each other, there is no need to rush to remove the stitches, the time frame is 2 weeks.
• Depth of the wound. If the wound is superficial, the time frame is shorter.
• Method of wound suturing. Some surgeons use an intradermal suture, which does not require removal at all.

Does it hurt when removing stitches?

Of course, each person has a different pain threshold, plus different parts of the body have different sensitivity. But we can definitely say that properly applied sutures allow them to be removed almost painlessly. No anesthesia is required.

The “golden rule” for removing sutures: they must be removed by the one who applied them. Unfortunately, this is not always possible.

Cosmetic seams: do they exist?

It is more correct to talk about a cosmetic incision. During the operation, surgeons use an incision along the natural folds of the body, and after the operation they close the wound with an intradermal suture. In this case, the scar “hides” in a natural fold and becomes less noticeable. If the wound was caused by accident or the surgical approach was outside the natural folds, the scar will still be noticeable. When using intradermal sutures, there will be no characteristic points on the sides of the wound, but the scar will still remain.

Can I remove the stitches myself?

It is strictly forbidden to remove stitches yourself! Any intervention in the wound should only be carried out by a doctor (not even a nurse). Otherwise, if complications arise (suppuration, fistula), you will only have yourself to blame.

Where can stitches be removed for a fee?

Now in any commercial medical center where there are appropriate doctors, stitches will be removed without any problems. This procedure in Smolensk costs between 200-300 rubles. The most important thing is that this should be done by a doctor of the same specialty who performed the operation. The surgeon should not remove sutures after gynecological or trauma surgery, and vice versa.

Features of suture removal after various operations.

Many of us have experienced surgery. These are most often abdominal operations. Many women are familiar with the operation of caesarean section.

There are two options for sutures after Caesarean:

• Horizontal. Most often, a horizontal cosmetic suture is used. It is performed using self-absorbing threads. There is no need to remove the stitches. The threads dissolve completely after 2-3 months. The seams are treated as usual, using an antiseptic.
• Vertical. This incision is rarely used, in this case the suture is vertical. It starts at the navel and ends at the pubic area. This seam is sutured using the interrupted method. Each stitch is tied with a knot. Such suture materials are removed 5-10 days after the intervention. The doctor cuts the stitches and uses tweezers to remove the threads.

Laparoscopy is a minimally invasive operation during which the doctor makes three small incisions to insert probes and tubes. The size of the incisions does not exceed 1.5 cm.

Features of suture removal after laparoscopy:

• Most often, doctors use threads that dissolve as suture material. This results in a neat cosmetic seam.
• In some cases, 1-2 sutures are applied using regular threads.
• The suture material is removed 5 days after surgery.

How are sutures removed from the perineum after childbirth?

Many women have experienced an operation such as an episiotomy. This is an incision of the perineum during childbirth. This operation allows you to increase the diameter of the hole and quickly remove the newborn. The inside is always sutures made of self-absorbing material.

Features of suture removal after episiotomy:

• Such sutures are removed 5-10 days after the intervention.
• The doctor cuts one stitch at a time and quickly pulls out the suture material with tweezers.
• After removing the seams, this area is treated with brilliant green or an antiseptic.
• The internal sutures are not removed; they completely dissolve after three months.

The technique for removing stitches in front of the eyes is completely different from stitches on the body. The fact is that the mucous membrane is very sensitive. After surgery for astigmatism, the sutures are removed no earlier than after 3 months.

Features of suture removal after eye surgery:

• The sutures are removed directly from the eyeball no earlier than after 3 months.
• It all depends on the patient’s well-being. You can definitely say about the advisability of removing sutures after examination by an ophthalmologist.
• Ideally, sutures are removed from 3 to 12 months after the intervention. Further, the threads dissolve on their own, but can cause a lot of inconvenience.
• If the threads break, irritation and tearing may occur.

After lacerations or cuts, cosmetic surgical sutures are often applied. How carefully you remove the stitches will determine how the scar will look.

The procedure for removing sutures after surgery:

• First, remove the bandage; do not tear off the patch or gauze that has dried. Pour peroxide over the dressing and wait until everything gets wet. Carefully remove the bandages.
• Now, using tweezers, gently pull the thread, when the suture material is taut, insert the nail scissors and cut the thread.
• Now use tweezers to carefully remove the threads. Hold the skin with a napkin so that it does not stretch. Otherwise, the seam may come apart.

The skin on the lips is quite delicate and thin. In this area, neat cosmetic sutures are applied. It is worth noting that such sutures are not made with self-absorbing threads, as they can tighten the skin.

Features of removing sutures from the lip:

• There is a mucous membrane in the lip area. Sutures are removed on the 8th day after their application.
• To begin with, the wound is treated with an antiseptic. After this, the seams are cut and the threads are carefully removed.
• It is necessary to hold the skin to prevent it from stretching and the seams from coming apart.
• After the manipulation, the scar is processed. By the time the stitches are removed, the swelling should disappear.

Stitches are also often placed on the fingers. In these places the seams are very small, since the finger area is small.

Features of removing sutures on fingers:

• First, remove the bandage. After this, the wound is disinfected.
• After this, it is worth sterilizing all instruments. Using tweezers, pull the end of the thread towards you.
• Run the scissors through the loop and cut it. When using tweezers, carefully remove the suture material.
• Treat the scar with brilliant green.

The stitches on the leg should be removed a little later. Usually this is 9-12 days after the intervention. In these places, the skin slowly regenerates and grows together. In addition, the timing of removal of suture materials depends on how well everything is with the wound. If it is clean, the suture material is removed faster.

Features of removing stitches from the leg:

• Most often, the wound is stitched using silk or synthetics. Such threads are strong and ensure rapid healing of the wound edges. They are very easy to remove.
• You need to pull the edge of the thread, and when you see a loop and a knot, cut the thread.
• Gently pull the thread with tweezers, holding the skin. If the wound is large, the stitches are removed in two steps with an interval of several days. Stitches are removed one at a time.
• Often staples or wires are used instead of threads. It is better to remove them at the clinic. This is due to the rigidity of the material and the possibility of repeated damage to the epidermis.

Time frame for suture removal:

• 12 days - for amputation
• after 6 days - during surgery in the area of ​​the skull and head
• after 7 days - after shallow intervention in the peritoneum and 9-12 - after deep surgery
• 10-14 days – for breast surgery
• 14 days - for surgical intervention of elderly people, patients with weak immunity and cancer patients
• 7-10 days - after cesarean section

For more information on how to remove suture material yourself, watch the video.

VIDEO: Removing stitches yourself

In any case, it is best to go to the clinic to remove the stitches. They have all the necessary tools and experienced staff.

VIDEO: Suture removal technique

Surgical operations of any complexity are a great stress for any living organism. Even when performing an operation is a matter of life and death, the specialist’s main goal is not only to perform it correctly, but also to prepare his patient for further recovery.

The most common method of connecting different biological tissues, for example, the edges of surgical incisions, lacerations or the walls of internal organs in the body, as well as eliminating severe bleeding, is skilled suturing.

It is best for the sutures to be removed by the attending physician who placed them, but there are situations when this is not possible.

A certain period of time must pass for the wound to fully heal and recover. If this time has passed, and the wound looks completely closed, then the patient can try to remove the stitches himself at home. At this time, it is very important to adhere to safety rules and regulations. It is for this reason that it is worth finding out when you can remove stitches at home and how to do it correctly. First, you should carefully consider what seams there may be.

In order to apply a certain suture, different medical suture materials are used: absorbable and non-absorbable type, threads of both biological and synthetic origin, and also, in some cases, metal wire.

The process of separating the sutures will be carried out depending on the time of their application: primary, delayed, provisional, early secondary, and late. There are also removable and submerged seams.

A removable suture is a type of surgical suture, during which the suture material is removed from the tissues after the wound has completely healed, and when applying a submerged suture, the suture material, remaining in the tissues themselves, after some time begins to dissolve on its own.

A primary suture can effectively close wounds left after surgery. They can also stitch wounds after surgery, lacerations after surgery, and various traumatic cuts.

A delayed primary suture should be applied for a minimum of a day and a maximum of seven whole days, while granulation develops in a random area, after which another secondary suture is applied to the wound.

The provisional connection is presented as one of the types of delayed seam. During this method, the threads are applied during the operation itself, and tied 2-3 days after the surgeon’s work.

Late secondary suture is used for 15-30 days, but if there is tissue scarring in the wound, then the healing time is much longer.

Why take them off?

It is worth remembering that stitches are very important both to apply correctly and to remove on time.

What happens if the stitches are removed too early or too late? If the suture is not removed in time, a process of tissue inflammation may begin, during which the entire body will try to independently remove the foreign material.

There is another question that interests many: is it possible to remove seams yourself? There is no point in trying to remove any type of seams at home. If you act on your own, there is a high probability that you will simply introduce some kind of infection into your body, which is fraught with dangerous consequences and even illness.

Withdrawal terms

The timing of elimination will be influenced by factors such as:

How long after surgery can all sutures be removed? To put it simply, this is a rather individual question. it is for this reason that the time to determine Only the treating specialist can.

But there are also optimal timing, which is what doctors mainly focus on. They will directly depend on the type of surgical intervention (what kind of operation was performed), as well as the general condition of the patient (weakened, for example, with cancer, the patient’s body will recover much worse, so it may require additional time for quality tissue healing).

Most often, sutures are removed after surgery:

Proper removal at home

How to remove a seam? Before you begin the suture removal process itself, you should make sure that the removal is completely safe. In some cases, it is best not to touch them with your hands at all..

If sutures occurred during a surgical operation or when their term has not yet expired, then carrying out such therapy on your own can rarely give a positive result, since in most cases this is fraught with dire consequences.

Need to remember:

You must choose which tools and technique you will use to remove the connections from the wound. At this time, it is worth taking into account that working with dull scissors can only cause harm. Also no need to remove stitches with a simple knife, as it may accidentally slip and seriously cut you.

What tools should you use at work?

You should thoroughly disinfect all the tools you have to work with. To do this, lower them for a few minutes into a container with boiled water, then you need to take them back, put them on a clean cloth and let them dry completely.

After this, you can wipe all the tools with alcohol or peroxide. Such actions will help prevent infection from entering the wound.

Wash the area where the stitches will be removed. All you need to do is use water, soap and a clean towel.

You will also need cotton wool and alcohol to wipe the area around the seams with a cotton wool soaked in alcohol. And only after you are completely sure that the area around the seams is fully disinfected, you can start working.

Removing stitches from a wound

It is necessary to study in more detail the tactics of removing sutures after surgery.

If during removal the wound begins to bleed profusely, this means that you were in a hurry to remove the sutures. In this case, you should immediately stop the removal and contact your treating specialist for help. The doctor will remove the remaining stitches himself.

Never try to pull the knot through the skin, it will get stuck in any case and cause bleeding.

If the suture was applied intradermally, then in most cases it is not removed. In this case, you just need to trim off the excess threads on both sides, pull them up a little and notch them. Afterwards, the wound must be treated according to the already indicated method, and a clean bandage must be applied.

Sometimes intradermal injections are removed cosmetic stitches for the patient. At this time, you should pull the thread by one end, holding the other end of the wound.

If at the same time a person experiences pain, and the wound itself causes discomfort, then it is best to take a painkiller (Ketanov, Meloxicam or Diclofenac).

In addition to all this, pain after stitching a wound can occur due to the fact that during the process of tying knots, a small part of the nerve ending remains in the wound, which at this time is pulled, and therefore causes severe pain in the patient.

If the wound was sutured with silk threads, and this, as is known, is a non-absorbable material for sutures, then they must be removed in time using the method already described.

If the patient has all the knowledge and carefully removes the sutures after surgery at home, then he will not have to worry about the process of possible infection and tissue damage, and the scar itself will never bother you with its pain.

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