How long do dissolvable stitches take to dissolve?

[Broseley]

I had my temporal biopsy 2 months ago. I was told the stitches would dissolve, but they're still all there and I find myself fiddling with them! Shouldn't they have gone by now?

[SnazzyD]

If you mean the bits that are external they will come away eventually. Dissolving stitches pass through drier layers of the skin from the wet layers underneath. This can leave undissolved bits joined to the external bits still attached. With fiddling you may find they come away. I have had to cut people’s sutures in the past just to get rid of them because they are a nuisance.

[Broseley in reply to SnazzyD]

Thanks, I'll have a closer look and see if any will come off.

[paintpots in reply to Broseley]

I had facial surgery last August with multiple stitches, the surgeon said he couldn't count them as he did lines of continual stiches! They took ages to go and they looked like they were not dissolving but on gently rubbing them they started to come away from the skin. They were just held in place by the skin scabs. Just be gentle and they will come away but not all at once.

[Broseley in reply to paintpots]

Thanks, I've tried rubbing but no good so far and it's getting sore, so I guess I'll just have to be patient!

[paintpots in reply to Broseley]

2 months does seem a long time, give it a couple of weeks and if they haven't started to come out go and see the doctor or nurse practitioner.

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to paintpots]

Mind you - it isn't unknown for the wrong sutures to have been used ....

[paintpots in reply to PMRpro]

Possible!!I have a healthy scepticism about health care, my dermatologist said I would have a couple of stiches and 45 plus later I wonder what she meant.

Take care.

[Marcy47]

When I had my first baby in 1969 I needed a couple of stitches in a delicate area! The elderly Dr who did it came straight from the pub and used the wrong sutures. After 2 weeks in hospital I was very sore and the nurse had to remove the stitches as the skin had grown over them. I was told to sit in a bath of warm salt water every day when I got home.

[Broseley]

They did come out eventually 4 months later by me rubbing them and picking at them.