If you notice that your stitches have become red, swollen, more painful, or are oozing pus or blood, see your doctor. If left untreated, a case of infected stitches can become serious and cause complications, some of which can become life-threatening.
Doctors commonly use stitches as a way to close a cut or incision. A person needs to keep the stitches clean to help the area heal without developing an infection. Any individual experiencing pain, swelling, redness, or pus around their stitches should see a doctor.
You might feel sharp, shooting pains in your wound area. This may be a sign that you're getting sensations back in your nerves. The feeling should become less intense and happen less often over time, but check with your doctor if you're concerned.
To help with this, take acetaminophen (Tylenol®) or extra-strength acetaminophen (Extra Strength Tylenol®). Don't take aspirin or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as ibuprofen (Advil®) or naproxen (Aleve®), unless your healthcare provider says you can.
Stitches and staples need to be removed within 4-14 days. The specific removal date depends on the location of the stitches or staples. Removal should not be delayed.
Healthy skin is naturally acidic, but if a surgical site gets infected, that acidity decreases. When that change happens, Taylor's sutures go from a bright red to a grayish-purple color.
You may feel discomfort in this area for several weeks. While you recover, sitting on an icepack several times a day for 10 minutes will help relieve the pain.
Suture scars fade slowly. A sutured area of skin may move less easily than the surrounding skin, creating a pulling sensation.
Stitches and staples are used to keep wounds together during healing. They need to be removed within 4-14 days. The specific removal date depends on the location of the stitches or staples. Removal should not be delayed.
A handful of studies have found that when wounds are kept moist and covered, blood vessels regenerate faster and the number of cells that cause inflammation drop more rapidly than they do in wounds allowed to air out. It is best to keep a wound moist and covered for at least five days.
After 48 hours, surgical wounds can get wet without increasing the risk of infection. After this time, you can get your stitches wet briefly with a light spray (such as in the shower), but they should not be soaked (for example, in the bath). Make sure you pat the area dry afterwards.
It's important to keep sutures clean and dry, especially for the first 24 hours. After 24 hours, you can wet the sutured area gently and quickly, for example in a sink or in the shower. Carefully pat the stitches dry immediately, as moisture can slow down the healing process.
At the incision edges, the skin may be pink to light red initially. Monitor for fading of these light colors back to the normal color of the skin, which is normal for healthy healing. If the color of the incision appears to intensify over time (from light red to dark red), an infection may be developing.
Generally absorbable sutures are clear or white in colour. They are often buried by threading the suture under the skin edges and are only visible as threads coming out of the ends of the wound. The suture end will need snipping flush with the skin at about 10 days.
Keep your stitches or staples dry and covered with a bandage. Non-absorbable stitches and staples need to be kept dry for 1 to 2 days. Absorbable stitches sometimes need to be kept dry longer. Your doctor or nurse will tell you exactly how long to keep your stitches dry.
"Stitches can be left in too long," warns Dr. Yaakovian. "When this happens, the skin can grow over the stitches — making removal more difficult. It can also lead to more scarring."
In general, the greater the tension across a wound, the longer the sutures should remain in place. As a guide, on the face, sutures should be removed in 5-7 days; on the neck, 7 days; on the scalp, 10 days; on the trunk and upper extremities, 10-14 days; and on the lower extremities, 14-21 days.
The Steri-Strips will fall off on their own within two weeks. After two weeks, gently remove any remaining Steri-Strips. If the strips start to curl before it's time to remove them, you can trim them. Tissue glue: The glue should be kept dry and the incisions should be kept out of direct sunlight.
Your cut may not need a bandage if it is not likely to get dirty, it is not draining, and it is in an area where clothing will not rub it. If you use a bandage, change it every 24 hours and anytime it gets wet or very dirty. Your doctor will tell you when to have your stitches or staples removed.
Keep the cut dry for the first 24 to 48 hours. After this, you can shower if your doctor okays it. Pat the cut dry. Don't soak the cut, such as in a bathtub.
You may need to cover your stitches with a bandage for 24 to 48 hours, or as directed. Do not bump or hit the suture area. This could open the wound.
Make sure it's time: If you remove your stitches too early, your wound may reopen, you could cause an infection, or you may make scarring worse. Confirm with your doctor how many days you should wait before removing stitches. If your wound looks swollen or red, don't remove your stitches.