I had a mommy makeover 2 weeks ago. I was supposed to get my stitches out (FTT/BA/BL) today, but due to taking too long and waiting 1.5 hours, I had to leave and reschedule the soonest 5 days from today. Should I be concerned? My PS doesn't seem concerned, but I've read some of the docs mention railroad track scarring.
Answer: Suture removal The good thing about suture removal is that your surgeon will be the best to know how long the sutures can stay in. If you leave them in too long, that will for certain be a problematic scar situation where you can see railroad marks or cross hatching markings neither of which is desirable. The ideal scenario is that they be removed exactly when he tells you (they don't necessarily need to be removed by a certain person, if your surgeon approves).
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Answer: Suture removal The good thing about suture removal is that your surgeon will be the best to know how long the sutures can stay in. If you leave them in too long, that will for certain be a problematic scar situation where you can see railroad marks or cross hatching markings neither of which is desirable. The ideal scenario is that they be removed exactly when he tells you (they don't necessarily need to be removed by a certain person, if your surgeon approves).
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Answer: Timing of sutures removal Most plastic surgery closure are done with sutures that run underneath the skin. The majority of surgeons use sutures that are self absorbing and do not require removal. Some use a running suture underneath that is pulled out from a point at the end the the incision. These are okay to leave for weeks. If sutures are placed where you see the knot or running baseball stitch, these will leave suture marks if they are not removed in 5-6 days. Your surgeon most likely did not use that type of closure.
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Answer: Timing of sutures removal Most plastic surgery closure are done with sutures that run underneath the skin. The majority of surgeons use sutures that are self absorbing and do not require removal. Some use a running suture underneath that is pulled out from a point at the end the the incision. These are okay to leave for weeks. If sutures are placed where you see the knot or running baseball stitch, these will leave suture marks if they are not removed in 5-6 days. Your surgeon most likely did not use that type of closure.
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December 19, 2017
Answer: Stitch removal I would not wait another 5 days to have your stitches removed as they can leave permanent marks on your skin. 2 weeks is more than adequate for most wounds to have healed and so the stitches should be removed at that point.
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December 19, 2017
Answer: Stitch removal I would not wait another 5 days to have your stitches removed as they can leave permanent marks on your skin. 2 weeks is more than adequate for most wounds to have healed and so the stitches should be removed at that point.
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February 7, 2017
Answer: Suture removal following mommy makeover Leaving permanent (removable) sutures in place for too long can indeed lead to a less ideal scar, with some degree of the "railroad tracks" that you mentioned. That said, 5 additional days will likely not make a tremendous difference. With my patients, I try to avoid this issue entirely by closing all tummy tuck and cosmetic breast incisions with dissolvable sutures that are beneath the surface of the skin.
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February 7, 2017
Answer: Suture removal following mommy makeover Leaving permanent (removable) sutures in place for too long can indeed lead to a less ideal scar, with some degree of the "railroad tracks" that you mentioned. That said, 5 additional days will likely not make a tremendous difference. With my patients, I try to avoid this issue entirely by closing all tummy tuck and cosmetic breast incisions with dissolvable sutures that are beneath the surface of the skin.
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February 4, 2017
Answer: OK to leave stitches more than two weeks? I don't like to leave stitches in place for more than two weeks, but in select cases where the stitches are small and in discrete locations in might be OK. After one week the marks that stitches leave begin to become permanent.
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February 4, 2017
Answer: OK to leave stitches more than two weeks? I don't like to leave stitches in place for more than two weeks, but in select cases where the stitches are small and in discrete locations in might be OK. After one week the marks that stitches leave begin to become permanent.
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April 8, 2016
Answer: How long to wait for suture removal? Thank you for your question. Not every surgeon uses the same sutures when closing incisions for any surgical procedure, so the best advice would be to check with your surgeon to see if waiting 5 extra days is ok with he or she. Your surgeon would know best as to how long your specific sutures can stay in place before it could potentially cause an issue (like poor scarring). Some sutures when left in too long will cause a 'railroad track/mark' type scar, while others that are absorbable are ok to leave in for long periods of time. Please follow up with your surgeon and follow his or her recommendation.
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April 8, 2016
Answer: How long to wait for suture removal? Thank you for your question. Not every surgeon uses the same sutures when closing incisions for any surgical procedure, so the best advice would be to check with your surgeon to see if waiting 5 extra days is ok with he or she. Your surgeon would know best as to how long your specific sutures can stay in place before it could potentially cause an issue (like poor scarring). Some sutures when left in too long will cause a 'railroad track/mark' type scar, while others that are absorbable are ok to leave in for long periods of time. Please follow up with your surgeon and follow his or her recommendation.
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