Removing stitches ....now I have a big hole!

[CAMom 0]

Today is day 10 so I removed my own stitches (which is totally easy). A lot of people feel comfortable doing so, so I said... I can do it too.

Well, 2 of my 5 incisions were not fully sealed (one of the big ones and one of the small ones) and now I have 2 big holes. They are sealed from the inside.. so its not like my insides are exposed or anything.

I read these will heal from the inside out. Is that correct? I've never had stitches before. How should I treat this. I just put a bandaid over it real tight so the pressure closes it back up... however this wont allow it to dry out.

Did any of you have this problem? I don't have medical insurance so if it will heal on its own and its a normal thing... then I will skip a trip to a doctor.

[LAN2k 18]

I don't really know. It's probably not too big a deal but I am wondering why you took out the stitches this early?

[CAMom 0]

I was told remove in 10 days... is that not the norm?

[Kabranda 0]

CAmom - my sleeve was 3/3 and I still have stitches in until 3/17 when I have a Drs. visit. My Dr. wrote his own booklet that he gives all his patients and under General Wound Care Instructions it says that "if drainage is present or the wound separates, clean the wounds twice a day with hydrogen peroxide and cover the wound with a clearn bandage. You may replace the bandages as needed. If no drainage is present you may leave the bandages off." I hope that helps. I will tell you 11/2008 I had gallbladder surgery and incisions were closed with glue. One opened up and it took until 1/2009 to heal all the way. Use hydrogen peroxide sparingly as it can impede the growth of new tissue. Good luck!

[CAMom 0]

Thankfully I have no drainage. :thumbup1:

I kept bandages on it but everyone has said... remove and keep it dry. The bandaids wasn't allowing it to dry today.

I'm gonna wash twice a day and watch them closely. I wont use peroxide or creams and just stick with antibiotic spray or soap.

Thanks for input!

[LAN2k 18]

I was told remove in 10 days... is that not the norm?

That sounds about right but I'm not certain. I had stitches that dissolved in there own. My surgeon only took out stitches where I had drains stitched in, in two places. He pulled those stitches out when he took the drains out about 2 weeks after surgery. My incisions were all closed but still tender at that time and he put a type of tape over them with gauze pad coverings.

[LAN2k 18]

You may cover them with gauze pads keeping them open on 2 sides so that they are protected but the air will still flow through. Let us know how they heal.

[TiffanyIsMajor 1]

I am SOOOOO glad I found this....I have done the same thing and now 4 out of 5 of my incisions are a mess.....I was on day nine thinking I was fine too. I even attempted to go to the er, but the triage nurse said they wouldnt stitch them back up, just make sure they were infected, which they arent, and rebandgae them ...all and all a waste of money because I dont have insurance, so i left.

[KZol 0]

I popped a stitch after my breast reduction surgery and also ended up with a big HOLE. I thought I'd be clever and put one of those "advanced healing" bandages over it and removed it several days later to find a MUCH BIGGER hole. I emailed my surgeon pics, panicking, and this is the RIGHT thing to do: Keep it clean and dry, a little neosporin is okay, and bandage it loosely so air can get to it. If you're like me, you'll have some scarring as a souvenir.

[CAMom 0]

From what I was told (nurses)... Keep it DRY, bandage it, clean it twice a day from the shower, and no creams or neosporin.

I had two big holes and I freaked out. I tried butterfly bandages but they did not work. They weren't sticky enough, so I went to Walgreens (only place I could locate them) and got sterile strips. They are REALLY sticky and might even irritate your skin a little but its worth it to hold that hole together.

Mine are finally healed but without those sterile strips... who knows. It will take a couple week of changing those sterile strips, spraying the incisions but most important.. keep them dry and clean.

If they feel warm to the touch at all or begin to get unusually red then its time to go back to the doctor because they may be infected. Mine were open (one was really open), and I took care of them all at home and I am fine now. One of the scars is just a lil bigger than the others but just use mederma for a month or two (after they are fully closed and healed).

Good luck. :thumbup1:

[thinoneday 445]

Today is day 10 so I removed my own stitches (which is totally easy). A lot of people feel comfortable doing so, so I said... I can do it too.

Well, 2 of my 5 incisions were not fully sealed (one of the big ones and one of the small ones) and now I have 2 big holes. They are sealed from the inside.. so its not like my insides are exposed or anything.

I read these will heal from the inside out. Is that correct? I've never had stitches before. How should I treat this. I just put a bandaid over it real tight so the pressure closes it back up... however this wont allow it to dry out.

Did any of you have this problem? I don't have medical insurance so if it will heal on its own and its a normal thing... then I will skip a trip to a doctor.

Yeah, cut the bandaids in half to make a steristrip, then get to the pharmacy and ask if they have steristrips, then put them on there crosswise, not lenghtwise. . .this will help

[HEARTONMYSLEEVE 1]

I am just curious about all this drainage tubes and stitches stuff. I did not have a drainage tube or any kind of stitches. Mine were closed with a glue that came off completely in about a week and a half. Mine were all closed and considerable small. Seems strange that doctors would give stitches and drainage tubes if the procedure could be done without them. It would seem to me that it would be better and less invasive for the patient. I didn't have stitches or a drainage tube when I had my gallbladder removed either and that was 5 or 6 years ago. I don't know. I am sure there must be some reasons for it maybe someone could enlighten me?

[stcyt 15]

I don't know heartonmysleeve. I feel lucky that I had the glue too, but I did have a drain tube. here was a woman in the hopsital with me (same surgeon) who didn't have a drain tube. We asked the nurse and she said that during the womans surgery there was not much drainage and her insides were very "clean" so one wasnt needed. I don't know exactly what that means, and we were struggleing a bit with the language barrier.... thats all I know.