Any surgical intervention carries a certain stress for the human body. The task of the doctor in such a difficult period for the patient is not only competent and professional conduct of the operation, but also the preparation of the patient for the recovery process.
Almost no surgical operation is complete without suturing, which is a way of connecting biological tissues and contributing to the reduction of bleeding and bile flow.
Types of seams
To understand how to remove stitches at home, you should know how they differ. Seams are divided into submerged and removable.
Removable sutures are removed after fusion of the wound edges and are characterized by high strength. They are made on the basis of synthetic and natural materials (mercilene, silk, linen, nylon, nylon), metal staples and wire.
Immersed (non-removable) seams are made from catgut - a natural material made from thin sheep intestines and capable of absorbing after some time. The advantage is that they are not rejected by the body. The disadvantage is low strength.
Determining factors
How to remove postoperative sutures at home? The moment of removal of postoperative sutures directly depends on a number of factors, namely:
- the patient’s health;
- the nature of the operation;
- complications;
- features of the disease;
- patient age;
- regenerative features of the body.
The fixing material for the body is foreign. Therefore, in order to avoid the onset of the inflammatory process, sutures should be removed in a timely manner. How to remove stitches at home? At home, this is not recommended because of the possibility of infection, which jeopardizes the patient's life.
Stitch removal time
How to remove stitches at home? What threatens belated or premature removal of sutures? When carrying out this manipulation later than the recommended period, the patient feels unpleasant sensations and tension at the sewing site. Then tissue ingrowth, suppuration of the wound can occur, which will negatively affect the appearance of the scar. It is dangerous to remove the sutures prematurely: the edges of the wound may not have time to grow together.
Seam removal terms:
- after 12 days - with amputation;
- after 6 days - with surgical operations on the head;
- a week later - after a slight opening of the abdominal wall and 9-12 - with deep surgery;
- 10-14 days - during surgery in the chest area;
- 14 days - with surgical intervention performed by elderly people, weakened by diseases and infections, cancer patients (due to a decrease in the regenerative capacity of the body);
- 14-20 days - after childbirth;
- 7-10 days after cesarean section.
How to remove stitches at home
Sometimes it happens that for some reason there is no possibility of contacting a medical institution. If the recommended healing period has passed, the wound looks healed, how to remove the stitches at home for a person who has never encountered this process before, is afraid and does not understand the sequence of actions?
In this case, it is important not to panic, to include all your composure and utmost care. First of all, it is necessary to remove the bandage from the wound and make sure that it is not dangerous to remove the suture.
If redness or signs of an inflammatory process are found in this place, self-removal of sutures should be abandoned and you must consult a doctor, as, most likely, the wound was infected.
Preparatory process
At the preparatory stage, you should choose the tools that will be used to remove the seams. So how to remove stitches at home?
You will need sharp scissors (preferably manicure) and tweezers. Using a knife to remove the seams is highly discouraged. Ideally, instead of home scissors, there are real surgical ones at hand. The tools at hand should be sterilized: put in a pot of boiling water for a couple of minutes, then remove, put on a clean towel and let dry.
It is additionally recommended to wipe them with alcohol. It is also necessary to treat the hands with an antiseptic. These measures will not allow the infection to get into the wound.
Next, prepare sterile bandages and an ointment containing antibiotics in case of possible bleeding.
The place where the seams will be removed should be washed with soapy water and wiped with a clean towel. Then wipe with cotton soaked in an alcohol solution. The main process should be started, making sure that the skin around the seams is clean. How to remove stitches after surgery at home?
Description of the process sequence
The process of removing stitches should be done in a well-lit place to clearly see the slightest nuances.
First, with the tweezers, the first knot must not be raised very high. Then, with scissors, cut the base of the thread and begin to gently pull it out, avoiding the ingress of external pieces into the fabric. This should be done until the last thread leaves the scar.
The knot should not be pulled through the skin: it will become stuck and cause bleeding. At the end of the procedure, which is relatively painless (except that there is slight discomfort and tingling during the pulling of the thread), you should make sure that there are no fragments of sewing material left in the wound. To accelerate the regeneration of the skin and prevent the occurrence of infection, the scar site should be treated with a weak iodonate composition, after which a fixing bandage should be applied.
How to remove stitches from the head at home? It is extremely undesirable to do this on your own in hard-to-reach places, on the head, after an extensive operation, as this is fraught with a guaranteed infection. Do not wet or wash soap cuts from seams. Do not try to remove surgical braces at home: doctors do this in a hospital with a special tool. If suddenly blood starts to ooze from the wound, you should stop the independent operation and immediately consult a doctor who will help complete what has been started.
The appearance of the wound and its healing depend on the accuracy of suturing and the timeliness of their removal. Therefore, it is desirable that a professional medical professional remove the sutures.
Wound Care Tips
The operated place should be treated very carefully, try not to touch it and not injure, because the skin strength in this area is minimal - 10% of the norm. It is strictly forbidden to expose an unhealed wound to sunlight, as this will provoke a darkening of the sore spot. For the speedy healing of the wound for about six months, specialized ointments and creams should be used, which the doctor will prescribe.