Anyone know of the best (cheapest) realistic place to get this done? Hausartz? Clinic?
And anyone know approximately what the costs are----I haven't got the slightest clue.
Thnx
I've got a few stitches which could use removing in a few days.
You can take them out yourself quite easily.
What kind of stitches?
We were told to take my wife's C-sections stiches out ourselves
Fairly simple ones (not really knowing how to characterize stitches). But I believe four tied knots on the forehead.
I'm starting to lean toward self-removal---any more support of this method?
I think I would take them off myself... Disinfect a pair of nail scissors with alcool, cut the knots and pull delicately, it should do the trick. Then disinfect your scar carefully, and voilà!
That's exactly what they would do at the hospital anyway!
That's fine then (I think!?).
I'm assuming a kind of black syntethic thread. The reason I ask is that some stitches are metal clips - clearly you need help for these
To be honest, I wouldn't know what to suggest without taking a look, so am not going to recommend anything. Cowardly of me I know...
Now, more interestingly, how did you get those stitches on your head?
Materials needed:
- Gauze (better than cotton but can use either) and some alcohol of peroxide
- The needle of a syringe (those that come sterilized)
-Tweezers
Instructions:
Clean area from inside out in circles with gauze and peroxide. WIth clean tweezers lift the stitch from one of the extremes of the knot so as to expose the lower part and with cut with the syringe's needle...repeat with other stitches....
Good Luck!
Also I take no responsibility if it doesn't work...
A
Appreciated!
yeah, it's the black synthethic type. I've had staples before, and actually, they came out quite easily with pilers.
As for the source---fairly typical, hockey puck to the head. (perhaps more stereotypical). I ain't pretty no more.
Definetely you need a special apparatus to take this out otherwise you will do more harm
Oh, no fight or heroic rescue then? You'll have to work on that story...
If I was to give advice (aka an opinion ), it would the same as Angela's and Mélusine's.
Only cut at at end with the smallest knot of each stitch, so that you can use the big knots for grip. As close to wound as reasonably poss.
Sterilium (you can buy little bottles) is another option for sterilising. Sterilise the whole area. Warning - it may sting like sh!t, but has to be done.
Alternatively if you're a hard hockey player who like to headbut pucks, and pull out metal stitches with your own pliers, drink the alcohol and rip 'em out
Actually it should be as far from the skin as possible to avoid contamination
The nurse in my family doctor's surgery did mine. She didn't charge me since I was in and out in five minutes. Procedure was exactly as others have described but as I've never been into DIY.....
Shouldn't you go back to the doctor who treated you?
Ideally yes, but I was treated in emerg due to the severity of the wound. They don't really do stitch removal in emerg, so the doc told me to use (or find) a family doctor to do it. I'm just too cheap and lazy to do that.
If you work more than 8 hours/week then your employer must provide you accident insurance. If you don't work, you may have this as part of your health insurance package.
If you are covered then I would have the stiches removed by a professional - probably a nurse at your local doctor's surgery,
Interesting, our (or my wife's) Gaeny told us to cut as close as poss without touching the wound (so there is a "margin for error"), but then we were talking about a single stitch/thread about 30-40 cm long!
Yes it should be a bit away from the skin or wound that is what I said...or didn;t I well...that is what I meant LOL
Since the stitches are on your forehead, I'd have them professionally removed. I've had the experience that the stitches sometimes leave bigger scars than the injury itself. I've had a mole removed last year (turned out to be harmless, thankfully). The wound looked perfect until they removed the stitches - the area where the stitches got removed got infected and now I have an ugly scar. I had this done at my GP's - he thought it wasn't necessary to treat the wound any further once the stitches were removed :-(
So what you're saying is that you had them removed professionally and got a scar from all that professional attention?
EDIT PS: Did the thread title change from "Removed Stitches" to "Stiches Removed" in which case this thread is now academic, or do I just need more sleep?
Sorry, I hardly got any sleep last night :-) What I meant: I would see a cosmetic surgeon to have them removed, unless you don't mind having a scar on your forehead. I'd hardly call a GP a professional when it comes to removing stitches (or for anything else that's more complicated than, say, prescribing bed-rest for a flu...). And I would most certainly not remove them myself.
Peter