How long did you leave your stitches in?

[JillianMarie 0]

My paperwork that i received from my surgeon said to remove stitches 10 days after surgery, that seems a bit too soon to me. How long did you all leave your stitches in before removing them? I have the tools to remove them myself once i am ready.

Thanks!!

[stcyt 15]

Well... I don't know the answer to your question but it does seem like other posters have gone more than 10 days. I had glue and it was in place for about 20 days. Also... there is another poster who took hers out at 10 as directed and her incisions came open. I don't think extending it a couple of days would hurt. I'm no doctor though..... just my thoughts

[escapesunshine 0]

I had staples and they removed them in 8 days.

[Swiftflow 6]

I would say go longer based on some of those who remove them at 10 an have them pop open. Just my opinion based on some of the pics I have seen. I had no bindings for mine except tape and they healed wonderfully--but those with stitches seem to differ in the way they heal. I kept fresh steri-strips (wound binding thin tape) on mine a week longer just to be very safe.

Edited May 30, 2010 by Swiftflow

[Jane_J 117]

My paperwork that i received from my surgeon said to remove stitches 10 days after surgery, that seems a bit too soon to me. How long did you all leave your stitches in before removing them? I have the tools to remove them myself once i am ready.

Thanks!!

10 days and then my daughter removed them for me because our useless and judgemental NHS nurses deemed that I had the op done privately so they couldn't possibly take them out. They decided this on Friday morning after previously allowing me to make the appointment on the instructions of my GP at the same practice. I was furious :lol0:, but my daughter who is hoping to study medicine stepped in and did a grand job with a new pair of nail scissors and eyebrow tweezers!

[pnw218 14]

I think my paperwork said 10-12 days.

Too early - your incisions might re-open; wait too long and the skin might grow around them making it more uncomfortable to remove them. I have had that issue with staples and stitches before.

My primary doctor removed mine at about 12 days and placed steri strips over the incisions. I was to leave those on until the fell off, trimming the ends as they pulled away.

She did say that my stitches/incisions looked great! They are fading quite a bit. The scars from a prior lap surgery in 2004 are hardly even visible.