crazy question about stitches

daisybud

So, its been exactly 4 weeks since my partial lap.  I had a two week followup with the surgeon and he said everything looks good and I have to come back in 3 months.  When I was there I showed him that there was a stitch sticking out and he said thats ok.  They are now rubbing against shirts.  I assumed it would dissolve and fall off at some point, due to his comment.  Well, I now have three of them sticking out.  It looks like fishing line! The other incisions are healing nicely.  The ones with the fishing line sticking out even healed some but still sore and scabby around the stitch.  I am going to call tomorrow but just wondering if anyone else had that happen.  I have had other surgeries and never had this happen.  Just wondering if this is common.  Just one more thing to add to the list!!

Kim

sblairc

Happened to my husband, reminded me of umbelical cord

Totally reminded me of waiting for my babie's umbelical cord to fall off. It took FOREVER for one of his laprascopic spots to heal (but the large incision to extracate the ginormous tumor healed up like a champ). 

I think my husband's finally just healed up. I made the assumption that the location of them was waht caused some to take longer. 

Hope that helped. 

daisybud

sblairc said:

Happened to my husband, reminded me of umbelical cord

Totally reminded me of waiting for my babie's umbelical cord to fall off. It took FOREVER for one of his laprascopic spots to heal (but the large incision to extracate the ginormous tumor healed up like a champ). 

I think my husband's finally just healed up. I made the assumption that the location of them was waht caused some to take longer. 

Hope that helped. 

Thanks, does kinda look like

Thanks, does kinda look like a like growth around the stitch.  Hoping they fall off but might have to have them snipped off. 

Just annoying rubbing against my shirts. 

)

 

daisybud

daisybud said:

Thanks, does kinda look like

Thanks, does kinda look like a like growth around the stitch.  Hoping they fall off but might have to have them snipped off. 

Just annoying rubbing against my shirts. 

)

 

By the way, I love your John

By the way, I love your John Wayne inspirational quote!!  I am going to use that!

Kim

icemantoo

daisybud said:

By the way, I love your John

By the way, I love your John Wayne inspirational quote!!  I am going to use that!

Kim

Pictures please

Kim,

 

 

How are we going to help you without pictures.

 

 

Icemantoo

jason.2835

What I did

Kim,

I'll tell you what I did but its up to you whether you want to do it. I looked up some sites regarding surgery and some people did this and it did work for me. 

As the stitch was poking out, I gently tugged on it with tweezers to bring it out as far as I was comfortable and then snipped the end with cuticle scissors as close to skin as I cloud get. This caused the stitch to recede back under the skin and it closed up and healed over a couple days later. Never had any problems after that. Obviously sterilize everything. Or don't do it yourself LOL. 

- Jay

daisybud

jason.2835 said:

What I did

Kim,

I'll tell you what I did but its up to you whether you want to do it. I looked up some sites regarding surgery and some people did this and it did work for me. 

As the stitch was poking out, I gently tugged on it with tweezers to bring it out as far as I was comfortable and then snipped the end with cuticle scissors as close to skin as I cloud get. This caused the stitch to recede back under the skin and it closed up and healed over a couple days later. Never had any problems after that. Obviously sterilize everything. Or don't do it yourself LOL. 

- Jay

Good idea

Thanks Jay,

I was able to just tug on one and it just came out.  I'll try snipping the others if I can get a hold of them with a tweezer.  I'll be sure to sterilize it too :-) 

Good info appreciate it!

Kim

 

 

 

 

 

 

donna_lee

daisybud said:

Good idea

Thanks Jay,

I was able to just tug on one and it just came out.  I'll try snipping the others if I can get a hold of them with a tweezer.  I'll be sure to sterilize it too :-) 

Good info appreciate it!

Kim

 

 

 

 

 

 

You and Jay are on track

for what I would have suggested.  Sometimes, the skin has already grown around the suture before it has a chance to dissolve completely.  Just use the sterile tweezers and pull.  Usually it comes out smoothly, because the other end of it has resorbed.

if it abcesses, you'll need to have the Dr. incise it to remove it.  Hope it doesn't do that to you.  If there is no open wound, try massaging moisturizer into the area and using a warm/moist compress on it to encourage it to "let go."

Glad you're doing better....and if you didn't wear show-off, tight tee shirts, it wouldn't rub on the suture.  Hah!!

donna_lee

daisybud

donna_lee said:

You and Jay are on track

for what I would have suggested.  Sometimes, the skin has already grown around the suture before it has a chance to dissolve completely.  Just use the sterile tweezers and pull.  Usually it comes out smoothly, because the other end of it has resorbed.

if it abcesses, you'll need to have the Dr. incise it to remove it.  Hope it doesn't do that to you.  If there is no open wound, try massaging moisturizer into the area and using a warm/moist compress on it to encourage it to "let go."

Glad you're doing better....and if you didn't wear show-off, tight tee shirts, it wouldn't rub on the suture.  Hah!!

donna_lee

No tight tees for me!!

No tight tees for me!!  Lol

One pulled out but other 2 won't budge.  They are sore. I'll give it a day or 2 more and see if they pull out too. Omg I hope so! I definitely don't want them to abscess. I'll try the warm compresses. 

Thanks Donna,  you are a wealth of information

Kim

hardo718

daisybud said:

No tight tees for me!!

No tight tees for me!!  Lol

One pulled out but other 2 won't budge.  They are sore. I'll give it a day or 2 more and see if they pull out too. Omg I hope so! I definitely don't want them to abscess. I'll try the warm compresses. 

Thanks Donna,  you are a wealth of information

Kim

Is there a lure on the other end of that fishing line?

What a catch you are!  lol 

If they won't budge my suggestions would include the following:

- cover with a bandage so it doesn't rub

- wear a midriff top

- do what guys do, go topless

Sorry, I'm no real help but hopefully gave you a little chuckle.

Good luck,

Donna~

todd121

I had this

Had a similar problem with this last surgery. The one before that I had no problem.

I had a lot of problems with healing this last surgery because I was allergic to the glue they used on me. And I also had a stitch or two sticking out like that for awhile. I even developed a little hole on one end that looked somewhat infected. I started putting antibiotic ointment on it and it got better. Eventually they all healed up but mine took a long time to heal. They scarred really bad this time too.

Even a year later, sometimes one of the scar areas will swell up and itch. Very odd. They didn't seem at all worried about my allergy to the glue. I have to tell you that it was pretty slow this go around. I don't know if it was the allergy to the glue or if the surgeon did a sloppy job with the stitches or what.

I did cut one with small scissors and it helped.

Todd

foxhd

todd121 said:

I had this

Had a similar problem with this last surgery. The one before that I had no problem.

I had a lot of problems with healing this last surgery because I was allergic to the glue they used on me. And I also had a stitch or two sticking out like that for awhile. I even developed a little hole on one end that looked somewhat infected. I started putting antibiotic ointment on it and it got better. Eventually they all healed up but mine took a long time to heal. They scarred really bad this time too.

Even a year later, sometimes one of the scar areas will swell up and itch. Very odd. They didn't seem at all worried about my allergy to the glue. I have to tell you that it was pretty slow this go around. I don't know if it was the allergy to the glue or if the surgeon did a sloppy job with the stitches or what.

I did cut one with small scissors and it helped.

Todd

I've

pulled out stitches months after they stick out.

daisybud

hardo718 said:

Is there a lure on the other end of that fishing line?

What a catch you are!  lol 

If they won't budge my suggestions would include the following:

- cover with a bandage so it doesn't rub

- wear a midriff top

- do what guys do, go topless

Sorry, I'm no real help but hopefully gave you a little chuckle.

Good luck,

Donna~

Donna,
Definitely my me

Donna,

Definitely my me smile:))

daisybud

todd121 said:

I had this

Had a similar problem with this last surgery. The one before that I had no problem.

I had a lot of problems with healing this last surgery because I was allergic to the glue they used on me. And I also had a stitch or two sticking out like that for awhile. I even developed a little hole on one end that looked somewhat infected. I started putting antibiotic ointment on it and it got better. Eventually they all healed up but mine took a long time to heal. They scarred really bad this time too.

Even a year later, sometimes one of the scar areas will swell up and itch. Very odd. They didn't seem at all worried about my allergy to the glue. I have to tell you that it was pretty slow this go around. I don't know if it was the allergy to the glue or if the surgeon did a sloppy job with the stitches or what.

I did cut one with small scissors and it helped.

Todd

I have the little hole to

I have the little hole to Todd.  I'll try the antibiotic ointment. :-)