Stitches

[sho'nuff]

I never had stitches before but my wife a few weeks ago received a deep cut at work from a metal ladder and had to go to a clinic thru worker comp to receive stitches.

After 7 days, she returned to have it taken out now that it closed up, but even after 3 weeks there is a very visible red scar there on her thigh:

Raised, red, and a truly visible scar that looks obviously that there was some suture there.

Is this how it is supposed to heal up?

I remember a coworker having stitches on his forehead for an accidental kick to the head from martial arts practice and it healed up to a white line almost invisible from face distance

Is this normal? For a raised red line on the relatively ***** flesh of the lower inner thigh near the knee?

Any one with experience with stitches done thanks.

 

[kwilkinson]

Hmmm... Shouldn't be that bright red you describe.
I cut the tip of my index finger when I was 15 working at KFC. Got 28 stitches in the tip across 4 different small cuts. It healed after a few weeks, and you can see the little waffle-grid kind of scar that the stitches gave me, but it isn't very apparent unless you're looking for it. I still don't have feeling in that finger though.

Maybe it's a bright scar b/c that's a more muscley area and has more bloodflow than other spots might? Dunno.

 

[hadamulletonce]

I've had stitches on my leg in the past and still have a scar.

 

[Manton]

I've had stitches twice (really three times, but once for wisdom teeth). One left a very small, light scar, the other left no scar. I think in both instances in mine were in for 10 days, not 7. And I still had to keep the wound bandaged for at least a week after the stitches were taken out. The wounds definitely looked much worse on the first day after the stitches were out than they did later.

 

[Milhouse]

I tend to scar. Maybe ask a plastic surgeon to take a look if you are really concerned.

 

[JayJay]

Originally Posted by hadamulletonce

I've had stitches on my leg in the past and still have a scar.
Same here. Scarred for life.

 

[amerikajinda]

Whoops -- seeing as this thread was started by sho'nuff and it's titled, "Stitches" -- I was expecting it was about Stitches Jeans!

 

[SirSuturesALot]

Depends on the type of suturing method that was used to close the laceration. When I close, I tend to use a method that leaves the suture buried inside the skin because it looks prettier.

Did the sutures look like several short parallel lines outside the skin, all running perpendicular to the length of the wound, each with a knot on top?

 

[sho'nuff]

Originally Posted by amerikajinda

Whoops -- seeing as this thread was started by sho'nuff and it's titled, "Stitches" -- I was expecting it was about Stitches Jeans!

..no.

 

[sho'nuff]

Originally Posted by SirSuturesALot

Depends on the type of suturing method that was used to close the laceration. When I close, I tend to use a method that leaves the suture buried inside the skin because it looks prettier.

Did the sutures look like several short parallel lines outside the skin, all running perpendicular to the length of the wound, each with a knot on top?

Yes it looked like several short perpendicular sutures a few had a little spindly ends.

 

[tiecollector]

There are many ways of suturing. Some plastic surgeons are quite good at it and if things are ugly after a year she might consider a scar revision by a specialist. Another thing is that Asians in particular are more susceptible to keloid scarring.

To get rid of scarring after a year you might try light dermabrasion or light acid peels on the scar coupled with pure magnesium oil.

 

[acidboy]

^ yup, there's a good possibility its keloid scarring, brother. better go back to the doctor and ask to be sure. and please stop making your wife do your chores at home!

 

[sho'nuff]

Originally Posted by acidicboy

^ yup, there's a good possibility its keloid scarring, brother. better go back to the doctor and ask to be sure.

and please stop making your wife do your chores at home!

hey man i do laundry, vacuum, and clean the bathroom/toilet all the time. she dont touch it once. even the cleaning the kitchen after a few guests leave. wow she is a queen.

 

[acidboy]

Originally Posted by sho'nuff

hey man i do laundry, vacuum, and clean the bathroom/toilet all the time. she dont touch it once. even the cleaning the kitchen after a few guests leave. wow she is a queen.

so what is she doing on a ladder, hmmm? you kinky Koreans....

 

[dave]

Originally Posted by SirSuturesALot

Depends on the type of suturing method that was used to close the laceration. When I close, I tend to use a method that leaves the suture buried inside the skin because it looks prettier.

not to mention they're far more pleasant for the patient because they don't catch on things as easily.

you work in Dallas by any chance?