Is it Painful to Get Stitches Removed?

In most cases, minor cuts and scrapes will heal on their own. However, more severe wounds or surgical incisions may require stitches or staples to secure the skin while it heals. The goal of using stitches or staples is to attach the edges of the skin so the tissues are able to fuse back together. Once the skin has adequately healed, the stitches are removed.

While most patients feel a bit anxious about having their stitches removed, the procedure does not typically cause any pain. A main benefit of stitches is that they aid the cut in healing and the goal is to avoid scarring or infection.

It is not always easy to determine if stitches are required to close a wound. It will ultimately be up to the health care provider to determine if stitches are required. If you experience any of the following symptoms, it is important to seek medical attention right away:

• A cut which is deep, jagged, or gaping open
• Cut on the face or any other part of the body where scarring should be avoided
• Continuous bleeding after 20 minutes of applying pressure
• Numbness
• Hand, limb or another body part which stops functioning correctly

If any of the above situations apply to the injury, it is important to visit a doctor right away. Direct pressure should also be applied to aid in controlling the bleeding. It can also be beneficial to raise the injured area above your heart.

In some situations, such as a puncture wound, stitches may not be recommended. Patients are still encouraged to visit a doctor, this is especially important if it has been more than five years since receiving a tetanus shot.

Once a health care professional assesses the injury and determines stitches are necessary, the first steps will be cleaning the wound and numbing the area. While the cleaning of a wound is not typically painful, the doctor may first administer a local anesthetic to reduce any discomfort. However, if the injury appears to be dirty, it may be more important to clean it first.

Prior to sewing the cut back together, the doctor will ensure does not contain dirt, debris or any other foreign objects. In some cases, an X-ray may also performed to ensure the wound is clean. For example, when the cut is the result of glass or sharp metal, it is imperative to ensure the cut is clean and does not contain any debris prior to closing it.

If there is any dead tissue present, this may also be removed to aid in the healing process. The edges of the cut will then be pulled together and stitched closed.

Various types of surgical thread may be used, including silk or nylon. Some types of surgical thread are able to dissolve on their own and do not require removal. Absorbable stitches are often used in surgical operations or when the cut is particularly deep.

Stitches Removal

In most cases, stitches usually need to stay in place for about four days to two weeks. The duration for the stiches will depend on the severity of the cut and where the cut is located. Follow the doctor’s recommendation for when the stiches should be removed. The removal of stitches is quite a bit quick than the process for initially placing them. The doctor will clip each thread near the knot and pulls them out through the skin. While you may feel a bit of tugging, the removal of stitches should not result in any pain. An anesthetic is not used to remove stiches.

Can you have stitches or sutures in too long?

Stitches (Sutures): Purpose, Procedure, Recovery

Written by Anne Brinser Shelton

• Signs a Cut May Need Stitches
• The Procedure
• Caring for Stitches
• Removal of Stitches
• Other Options

Most minor cuts and scrapes heal on their own, with little more intervention needed than mild soap and water to keep them clean. But more serious cuts or incisions from surgical procedures may require stitches, or sutures, to hold tissues together while they heal. The goal is to piece together the edges so that skin and other tissues can fuse back together. Then the stitches are removed.

Although it’s natural to feel a little anxious if you’re getting stitches, especially if you’ve just experienced trauma, the procedure is generally painless. And stitches will help cuts heal with minimal scarring or risk for infection.

It’s not always easy to tell if a cut requires stitches. Ultimately, it’s up to your health care provider to determine if stitches are needed. You should seek medical care for any cut that:

• Is deep, jagged, or gaping
• Is on the face or another part of the body where scarring may be an issue
• Bleeds profusely without stopping after 20 minutes of direct pressure
• Feels numb
• Is in a hand or limb that doesn’t function properly after being cut

If any of these criteria apply to your injury, see a doctor as soon as you can. In the meantime, apply direct pressure to help control bleeding. It might also help to raise the injured area above the level of your heart, if possible.

There are certain instances in which stitches may not be advised, such as puncture wounds, though you may still need to see a doctor, especially if you have not had a tetanus shot in more than five years.

Once a health care provider has assessed your injury and determined that you need stitches, the first steps they will take in treating the wound are to clean and numb the area, though not necessarily in that order. Although cleaning a wound is not very painful in most cases, the doctor may first administer a local anesthetic, similar to what your dentist might use, to maximize your comfort. If your injury seems particularly contaminated, however, cleansing it — usually with running tap water and a mild soap — may be a higher priority.

Once the area is numb, the doctor will take a closer look to make sure there’s no dirt, debris, or other foreign objects inside the cut before sewing it together. An X-ray may also be ordered to help look for remaining debris. If you cut yourself on a piece of glass or sharp metal, for instance, it’s crucial to ensure that there are no remaining shards inside the cut.

The doctor may remove any dead tissues to help the healing process. They will then pull the edges of the cut together and, for each stitch, loop thread through either side of the cut and tie a knot to hold the wound closed.

Doctors can use different types of surgical thread made from materials such as silk or nylon, which may be in single filaments or braided. There’s even surgical thread that is designed to dissolve over time so that the stitches don’t need to be removed. These are used most frequently in deep cuts.

The doctor or nurse will give you instructions for caring for your stitches as your cut heals. These may include specific steps for cleaning and dressing the wound. You may be advised to keep the wound and bandages dry.

Your doctor may also recommend an antibiotic ointment to help prevent infection and make you aware of signs that may indicate infection. Keep an eye out for such signs, including a fever higher than 100 degrees or red streaks on the skin near the wound. And if any of your stitches pop or break, or you have any other concerns, be sure to contact your doctor.

Stitches typically need to remain in place for several days to a couple of weeks, depending on the severity of the cut and location. Your doctor will tell you when to come back to have them taken out. Removing stitches is a much faster process than putting them in. The doctor simply clips each thread near the knot and pulls them out. You may feel a slight tugging sensation, but the removal of stitches shouldn’t hurt at all. You won’t even need an anesthetic.

Although removing stitches is not a difficult process, you shouldn’t try to remove them yourself. It’s important for your doctor to check to see that the wound is healing properly and to make sure that it’s OK for the stitches to come out. The doctor may also have special instructions for you after the stitches are removed, which may help minimize scarring.

Stitches aren’t the only option doctors have to close cuts and incisions. Cuts sometimes can be held together with butterfly tape or adhesive strips, which you may be able to do yourself at home for more minor cuts. There are even special staples or tissue glue, but those tend to work best with clean, straight incisions, such as in surgical procedures.

There are different criteria and care instructions for each type of closure. Your health care provider can help decide which is best for you and tell you how to care for your injury as it heals.

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When stitches are removed after dental implantation, does it hurt or not?

Suturing is a standard procedure after implant placement. Implantologist Alexander Pavlovich Akhtanin will tell you why you need to fix the gums after installing implants, what threads are used for this, and give recommendations on how to care for surgical sutures.

Content

What is it and why is it necessary?

Materials for suturing gums

Suture techniques

Care

When can stitches be removed?

Does it hurt to remove stitches?

Questions and answers

Features of the seams after implant placement

During implantation, the surgeon cuts the gum, forms two flaps of tissue, which must be fixed after the procedure is completed. Otherwise, the mucous membrane will heal longer, and pathogenic bacteria and infection can enter the body through an open postoperative wound.

Do stitches need to be removed?

Materials are available that are self-absorbable. The process usually takes two weeks to a month. There are threads that need to be removed at the dental clinic. If this is not done, they can grow into the mucous membrane and damage it.

What materials are used?

absorbable threads can be made from different materials – synthetic or natural.

• Catgut. A natural material that has been used in dentistry for over a century. Dissolves after about two weeks by phagocytosis (cells of the body absorb solid particles). However, catgut is poorly compatible with the surface of the mucosa, which can provoke inflammation. Therefore, it is usually not used in dental implants, as inflammation can prevent the implant from healing properly.
• Vicryl and Dexon. Synthetic threads that are produced on the basis of different materials. However, they do not provoke irritation of the mucosa. They are absorbed in a month by hydrolysis (threads are destroyed after interaction with water).

Non-absorbable threads should be removed after 5-10 days.

• Silk. The material is often used in surgery. The advantage is its durability. But silk threads absorb liquid with pathogenic bacteria. Because of this, a focus of infection is formed near the open wound, which can penetrate the bloodstream and provoke acute inflammation.
• Polyester. Similar in characteristics to silk, but does not cause inflammation. Often polyester is coated with other hypoallergenic materials, such as silicone.
• Monofilament. Resistant to mechanical damage. It is used in cases where the suture cannot be removed for a long time, as it does not provoke inflammation. But because of the hard ends of the thread, it can scratch the gums.

What types of seams are available?

• Simple knot. The most common type, often used in dentistry, easy to apply.
• Eight. Knots tuck the edges of the gums inward.
• Mattress (vertical, horizontal, cross). Used to fix the gums in the interdental space.
• Danish (horizontal, vertical). Apply if you need to fix a large area of ​​mucosal tissue.
• Twisted. Pulls the edges of the gums up.

How to take care of the stitches after surgery?

No special care is required for surgical sutures. But the longer the inflammation lasts, the greater the risk of damage to the seam. Also, you can not remove the threads if the postoperative wound has not yet healed.

There are a few tips to help speed up gum healing:

Do not eat for three hours after implantation

Immediately after suturing, food debris may get into the wound or pull the threads.

The first week there are liquid and softened products

They do not damage the mucosa around the implant.

Do not chew on the side of the sutures

Vigorous chewing may damage surgical knots and cause bleeding.

Take prescribed medications

Antibiotics and pain relievers help with oral discomfort. Thanks to them, the healing process is faster.

Do not eat spicy, hard and very salty

Spices irritate mucous membranes, because of this, the wound does not heal for a long time and inflammation appears.

Do not drink alcohol, do not smoke

Alcohol, hot air, resins slow down the recovery of the mucosa and provoke new inflammation.

Do not increase blood pressure

Baths, saunas, any artificial increase in temperature, also flying in airplanes or diving under water. All this raises the pressure, because of this, bleeding can suddenly open.

When are stitches removed after implantation?

Usually 5-12 days after application. The duration depends on:

• The age of the patient. The ability of cells to regenerate decreases with age, so the sutures are removed later.
• Areas of postoperative wound. The larger the volume of surgical intervention, the more traumatized the mucosa and recovery takes longer.
• Non-compliance with recommendations. Smoking and drinking alcohol immediately after implantation leads to microburns of the mucosa. Also, alcohol leads to an increase in blood pressure, which increases the risk of bleeding.
• Presence of chronic diseases. If the body is constantly fighting the disease, immunity falls. Mucosal tissue cells regenerate more slowly.

After implantation, the dentist determines exactly the day the sutures are removed. It focuses on the patient’s condition and his clinical picture.

If removed early, the wound may open and bleed. Then the stitches will need to be re-applied. If, on the contrary, tighten with the removal of the threads, they can grow into the gum, scratch it and lead to other complications.

Physician’s Opinion – Should Patients Take Antibiotics?

The main task after surgery is to prevent infection. It is important to take antibiotics for several days after the procedure to prevent the development of pathogenic bacteria in the oral cavity. Then the postoperative wound will recover faster, and the engraftment of the implant will pass without complications.

Does it hurt to remove stitches?

No, removal takes 10-15 minutes under anesthesia. The patient feels only a slight sensation of the doctor’s manipulations. The procedure consists of several steps:

1. Antiseptic treatment. In order not to bring the infection in the final stages.
2. Application anesthesia. Suitable gels based on lidocaine, which are applied to the postoperative area.
3. Extraction of sutures. The threads are carefully removed with tweezers. At this stage, the doctor can evaluate the result of the work done.
4. Oral disinfection and sterile dressing. This is an additional protection of the postoperative wound. When you can remove the bandage, the doctor will tell you.

Questions and answers:

1. The seam has come apart – causes and what to do?

Knots can come apart if the recommendations are not followed: solid food, hot air, sudden bleeding lead to the destruction of the threads. Also, the sutures may come apart due to a doctor’s mistake, for example, if he loosely tightened the surgical knots.

Do not self-medicate. You should immediately contact your dentist if:

• The gum has not yet recovered . The doctor removes the previous threads and sews up the gum again. The whole procedure takes place under anesthesia, so the patient will not feel pain.
• The wound has already healed . The doctor removes the threads, in this case a new suture is not needed. It is necessary to disinfect the oral cavity with an antiseptic.

2. Do I have to pay separately for the removal of seams?

No, the extraction of surgical sutures is included in the cost of implantation or bone grafting.

3. What if the stitches scratch the tongue?

This can happen if the doctor did not fasten the threads correctly or if they are made of a hard, dense material. If the seam brings severe discomfort, you need to consult a dentist. It is impossible to cut or shift the seam on your own, as this may cause it to disperse. You can not cut the seam, even if it seemed that over time the knots began to weaken.

Clinic address:

+7(495)120-30-65 Operating mode:
Mon-Fri 10:00-21:00, Sat-Sun 10:00-19:00

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Does it hurt to remove postoperative sutures?

Surgery always involves risks, and rehabilitation always brings certain inconveniences. This is definitely worth remembering. But rumors about the complexity of some mandatory postoperative procedures are too exaggerated. In this material, we will talk about one of them – the removal of sutures.

Preoperative anxiety

A person who intends to improve his appearance through surgery faces many fears. He is afraid of anesthesia, severe pain, adverse outcome of the event, complications, etc. Some are haunted by the idea that you can wake up on the operating table – this is already from the realm of fantasy. As for the rehabilitation period, one of the most “terrible” procedures is the removal of sutures.

Valery Staisupov comments

When I tell a patient that the surgical wound is sutured with self-absorbable threads, I see how the expression of anxiety on his face is replaced by relief. For many years I have not been able to solve this riddle: why is someone who has come to terms with the very fact of the operation and endured rather unpleasant dressings afraid of the simplest, harmless procedure? Perhaps the reason lies in the misunderstanding of how exactly the stitches are removed.

Surgical sutures and needles

Understanding the process of removing postoperative sutures is possible only by knowing how these sutures are applied. There are several types of surgical threads. All of them have different thicknesses and are made of different materials. Zeros are used to designate the diameter: the more there are, the thinner the thread (for example, two zeros, three zeros, etc.).

Skin and other living tissues are sewn differently than clothing

The needles used for sutures have an unusual shape – they are rounded. It is inconvenient to control them with fingers, so surgeons use a special tool – a needle holder.

Comments by Valery Staisupov

Specialists in the field of aesthetic medicine, as a rule, use threads from two to seven thick. Each thread is packed in a special plastic container, so that during the operation it is convenient to take it out with one hand.

The most common surgical sutures

Perhaps it will surprise a person who is not connected with medicine in any way, but skin and other living tissues are not sewn up like clothes. It is worth noting here that some surgical sutures are vaguely reminiscent of tailor sutures, but doctors specializing in plastic surgery do not apply them. In this material, we will consider the two most commonly used sutures: intradermal and nodal.

The first one is very convenient for the patient. It consists of a single stitch laid in the thickness of the skin. It is removed in an elementary way – just pull the end of the thread. The second, as the name implies, is a series of separately superimposed nodules. Subsequently, each one must be disposed of. But this is done very easily: the doctor pulls on one of the tails and cuts the thread at the base.

Commented by Valery Staisupov

As you already understood, the removal of sutures is a procedure that does not require a long time and special efforts. And it is painless because modern surgical threads do not stick to the skin and come out of it without hindrance.