Surgeons use stitches to close wounds to stop bleeding and promote healing. However, many patients suffer from intense pain or other problems related to their stitches. In fact, it is not unusual for stitches to become infected even though they are allegedly “dissolvable.”
Signs of infection
increased redness around the wound. pus or bleeding from the wound. the wound feeling warm. an unpleasant smell from the wound.
After the initial discharge of a bit of pus and blood, your wound should be clear. If the discharge continues through the wound healing process and begins to smell bad or have discoloration, it's probably a sign of infection.
Your body may be extra-sensitive to absorbable sutures, as it recognizes the material as a foreign substance. This can cause a reaction and delay the process of wound healing.
And not just when they go in, they can hurt for a few days afterward. It's because your immune system uses an inflammatory reaction to get rid of them. Inflammatory reactions cause pain! They also lead to increased scarring.
In some cases an absorbable suture can be “spit out” if the body doesn't break it down. This happens when the stitch is gradually pushed out of the skin because the body is rejecting the material. Spitting sutures can feel like a sharp spot on the incision, and a small white thread may start emerging.
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.
Signs that a wound is not healing properly and may be infected include feeling warm to the touch, swelling, discharge or pus, long lasting pain, or fever.
Symptoms of infection include redness, swelling, warmth at the infected site, fever, pain, and swollen and tender lymph nodes. An individual with infected stitches may have: redness or red streaks around the area. tender and swollen lymph nodes closest to the location of the stitches.
Is it safe to bathe or shower? It is important for people to follow their doctor's care instructions after having dissolvable stitches. In many cases, a person can shower 24 hours after the wound closure. However, a doctor may advise a person to avoid soaking in a bathtub for a specified period.
If the tape comes off before seven days, perform wound care as follows: - The suture line should be cleansed daily with tap water. You may gently loosen any crusts with a wet Q-tip and pat dry. -After cleansing the wound, apply a thin layer of Vaseline, Aquaphor or Polysporin over the stitches.
The time it takes for dissolvable or absorbable stitches to disappear can vary. Most types should start to dissolve or fall out within a week or two, although it may be a few weeks before they disappear completely. Some may last for several months.
Dissolvable sutures are usually clear in color, and permanent sutures are dark blue or black in color. Since all sutures are technically “foreign substances” the human body has a tendency to reject them.
In most cases, antibiotic medicines are prescribed to treat a wound infection. Symptoms of a wound infection include: Redness, tenderness, or swelling around the wound.
You may have an infection if you notice any of these symptoms. The skin around your wound is red or sore, or feels hot and swollen. Your wound has liquid (often green or yellow pus) coming out of it. Your wound opens.
Indicators of wound infection include redness, swelling, purulent exudate, smell, pain, and systemic illness in the absence of other foci. Subtle signs of local wound infection include unhealthy “foamy” granulation tissue, contact bleeding, tissue breakdown, and epithelial bridging.
Pain or swelling is increasing 48 hours after the wound occurred. Swollen Node. The lymph node draining that area of skin may become large and tender. Fever.
It will go from looking thick, red, and raised to thinner, flatter, and more like your usual skin color.
(This type of suture is often yellowish-tan in color.)
These types of stitches are very safe to use and are designed to dissipate on their own, over time. It is not uncommon for our immune system to treat dissolvable stitches as foreign objects that don't belong, generating an inflammatory response to dissolve or reject the stitches.
"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."
The most common cause of surgical scar pain after surgery is a nerve that is injured or stuck in scar tissue. You may not only experience pain from scar tissue, but may also have swelling, itching, and increased sensitivity. Some common causes for surgical scar pain are: Tightness.