Question about "dissoving stitches" - anyone know?

[Lys]

Hey all,

Thanks for any light you can shed on this subject for me...I'm so in the dark *lol*

I had a lumpectomy done last thursday, the incision is about 2 1/2 inches long. When I left surgical day care, they told me to leave the "outer dressing" (mepore) on for about 3 days, then remove the steri-strips after a week...the stitches will dissolve on their own.

So I'm a week post-op, and removed said steri-strips tonight. I can see some tea coloured slough, but no stitches. The edges of the wound are folded into one another, so I'm wondering if there are some stitches in there that I can't see...if they have already dissolved and came off with the steri-strips...or if there were none ever there.

Thanks again :-)

Lys

[KaroSnowQueen, RN]

Either they have already dissolved OR they were internal and the outer edges were closed using surgical glue to lessen your scars.

[RNPATL, DNP, RN]

Hey all,

Thanks for any light you can shed on this subject for me...I'm so in the dark *lol*

I had a lumpectomy done last thursday, the incision is about 2 1/2 inches long. When I left surgical day care, they told me to leave the "outer dressing" (mepore) on for about 3 days, then remove the steri-strips after a week...the stitches will dissolve on their own.

So I'm a week post-op, and removed said steri-strips tonight. I can see some tea coloured slough, but no stitches. The edges of the wound are folded into one another, so I'm wondering if there are some stitches in there that I can't see...if they have already dissolved and came off with the steri-strips...or if there were none ever there.

Thanks again :-)

Lys

The drainage should be excessive and if so, would merit a call to the physician. Remember to keep an eye out for infection.

[Lys]

Thanks to both of you :-)

It does look like there were some there (likely internal like you said Karo) cuz there are indents at a couple of intervals *lol*

On the drainage front, there really was none...I was impressed. There was one small spot of blood on the mepore when I removed it, and some dried stuff on the steristrips...but no drainage!!

Thanks again :-)