Stitches poking out?

[Mehita]

My son had a small bowel resection on January 11, 2013. He has a 3" vertical scar through his belly button. They stitched him up on the inside and then used superglue for his skin. Right from the start, he had two little stitches that were poking through his skin. We were told the stitches would dissolve in 6-8 weeks.

Well, 13 weeks later, they're still there and haven't dissolved at all. They look like two little white whiskers poking through and sometimes bother him when his jeans or shirts rub against them. When we've tried pulling on them with tweezers, he says it hurts because it pulls on his skin which has attached to the two stitches.

Has anyone else had this happen? Is there anything I can put on them to make them dissolve?

 

[nogutsnoglory]

I would NOT pull on them with tweezers. I would go to the surgeon and let them clip them. That way you can be sure it's normal and also have it removed professionally.

 

[Jim (POPS)]

I would go back to the Dr. and have them take a look at them.

 

[afidz]

I agree with NGNG, pulling on them with tweezers could rip the incision and/or cause an incisional hernia. I would go to the surgeon and have then clip them or do whatever it is they have to do. If his shirt or jeans bothers him from rubbing against it you could put some low adhesive medical tape (paper tape doesn't usually have a very strong adhesive on it) with some gauze over it to make sure nothing rubs against it until you can get it resolved by the surgeon.

 

[DustyKat]

Dissolvable sutures rely on the bodies natural defences and wound healing properties to dissolve them. When a dissolvable suture is outside the body, as your son's is, that wont happen.

After 13 weeks internal healing would have taken place so go back to the surgeon and have him take care of what is now left. It is likely that the pulling has less to do with anything inside him and more to do with the fact that they have imbedded in the skin.

In the interim, as afdiz has suggested, pop a bit of surgical tape over them, something like Micropore (paper tape), so his clothes don't irritate them.

Dusty. xxx

 

[CheerBear12]

I'd go bk to the surgeon and get them too remove them professionally

 

[Mehita]

Thanks, everyone. I will call on Monday.

 

[DustyKat]

Good luck! and let us know how you get on.

Dusty.