I just had stitches removed from upper eye lid surgery but one stitch was left over. Is it bad?

Question

I just had my upper eyelid surgery and had my stitches removed yesterday. When I came home, I noticed there was a black mark looked like a stitch still on my left eye lid. Is it OK to leave it like that and will it be gone by itself? Is it bad or cause any damages to have it still on the eye lid? These stitches are not dissolvable.

Barbara L. Persons, MD, FACS · Answer

Yes, it sounds like you have a stitch (suture) left over after your eyelid surgery. This is very common, it won't cause any damage, but you should go back to your surgeon to have it removed (because it will continue to bother you, just like a misplaced eyelash.)Out of all the surgeries I perform, I find that stitches can be a bit bothersome in two cases: behind the ears in a facelift, and around the eyes after a blepharoplasty. These are very fine, small sutures that are meticulously placed into anatomically complex places. Placing these stitches requires skill and technique...removing them sometimes feels harder!Every plastic surgeon uses a different technique to suture the eyelid, and one approach is not necessarily better than the other. Some sutures are absorbable, some are not. Some need to be removed, some dissappear on their own. The eye is a very sensitive spot, so you will definitely notice a retained suture. Best to go to the office and have it removed. If it turns out you need to go back several times...don't worry that your surgeon isn't doing a great job. These particular sutures are a bit nettlesome for all.

Kenneth D. Steinsapir, MD · Answer

Please do not wait for your next visit.  This can occur where a bit of suture is left.  It is generally no intentional.  Don't assume it was intentional.  Sutures are foreign bodies.  They can get infected so contact the office and have this bit of suture removed.

John Michael Thomassen, MD · Answer

These sutures are usually permanent so they have to be removed.  They do not react with the skin and it should not cause any problems, just purely cosmetic.  You can have it removed at any time, although sooner is better as it may become buried.

Jessica Lattman, MD · Answer

It is not an emergency.  But I would call your doctor and have the stitch removed.  It will not cause any problems but it will not go away on its own.

Ronald J. Edelson, MD · Answer

Call your doctor and make an appointment to face the last suture removed.  I occasionally miss removing a stitch also.  Missing a suture and removing it later will not create any problems.

Jeffrey M. Darrow, MD · Answer

Occasionally due to swelling or some crusted blood along the suture line, one of the very thin sutures used to close the eyelids is missed.  As it are not dissolvable, it must be removed.  Just call your plastic surgeon for another appointment.

Suzanne Kim Doud Galli, MD, PhD, FACS · Answer

please don't worry. Call your surgeon and have the stitch removed soon. There is a risk of a suture mark if the stitch stays in too long.

M. Dean Vistnes, MD - Account Suspended · Answer

You should go back to your surgeons office and have it removed. This usually isn't harmful but sometimes uncomfortable. Good luck, Dean Vistnes.

I just had stitches removed from upper eye lid surgery but one stitch was left over. Is it bad?

Answers (8)