How long should surgical stitches be kept?
960460
Ive seen sutures stay in as long as 14 days\nyour injury sounds painful.. OUCH\nHope you're feeling better soon
107841
there won't be any problems.\njust need to be a bit careful for some time after the operation.
880146
I had a mole   ( rodent ulcer),   removed last year,\n it was on the side of my neck \n I was very worried about how it was going to feel as well \n The only thing i felt was a tiny scratch from the local anaesthetic needle .\n the rest was a breeze ,\nchatting to the Nurse and the Surgeon \nand before i knew it it was done  , small dressing 2 stitches .\n\n 10 mins max , and NO after pain . \n And virtualy no scar.\n i am sure your procedure,  will go as well  too \n\n\nGood luck \n\n>^,,^<
962682
A pharmacist will tell you that 6 months is about as long as you should keep it. However, it doesn't actually go bad. It just loses its potency. I've had the stuff left over from surgery that I took a year later. It still did the trick
511241
It will return to the normal size 95% of the time. It does take 4-10 weeks, depending on your healing abilities.
481583
RICE:  R=rest, I=ice, C=compression, E=elevation.  Basically, try not to move it, wrap it semi-tightly in an ace bandage, ice it for 15 min on, one hour off, and keep it elevated.  See a doctor ASAP to make sure there is no serious damage or fractures.
967661
Yes - no reason why not. Many wounds aren't dressed these days. Sutures are not a contraindication for removing a dressing. Keep the wound dry thought for a couple of days.
47385
It depends on a lot of factors. As long as the fingure is stored correctly and the tissue does not die, the finger can be reattached. A safe guess would be at least an hour if iced as soon as it is severed and stored correctly. I'm sure there are instances when it can be stored for a several hours, if not longer.
527524
ice protected in a towel/cloth. but for short periods of time, \ntime for the surgery to heal, sleep, and the pain pills the dentist/surgeon gave you. \n\ngood luck.
287421
It really depends on where on your body the stitches are. Stitches after childbirth are very uncomfortable for the first few weeks, but don't necessarilly hurt while they are being administered because of any drugs given during labour and your body's natural painkillers kicking in. If your question specifically relates to childbirth, there are various pieces of equipment available to alleviate discomfort and your doctor or midwife will be able to advise you.
45030
Immediately.  If the cut was deep enough to require stitches and these or staples are being used to close the wound, then you must wait until they are removed or disolved before getting the finger wet again.
857326
stitching a wound closed?
460036
RICE Treatment.\nRest:\nThe first 24-48 hours after the injury is considered a critical treatment period and activities need to be curtailed. Gradually use the injured extremity as much as tolerated, by try to avoid any activities that cause pain. Often using a splint or slings is necessary to adequately rest the injured body part. \nIce:\nFor the first 48 hours post-injury, ice the sprain or strain 20 minutes at a time every 3-4 hours. The ice pack can be a bag of frozen vegetables (peas or corn), allowing you to be able to re-use the bag and it mould to your body.Alternatively, wrap ice in a clothing, place it on the affected area.\nCaution: Do NOT ice a sprain for more than 20 minutes at a time! You will not be helping heal the injury any faster, and you can cause damage to the tissues!\nCompression:\nUse compression when elevating sprain in early treatment. Using a crepe bandage, wrap the area overlapping the elastic wrap by one-half of the width of the wrap. The wrap should be snug, but not cutting off circulation to the extremity.If your fingers or toes become cold, blue, or tingle, re-wrap.It means it too tight.\nElevate:\nKeep your sprain higher than your heart if possible. Elevate at night by placing pillows under your shoulder. \n\nThis method works by constricting the flow of blood to the affected area. As blood circulation can take away the thing that repair the sprain.\nGet Well Soon :)
642994
My mom had this done last summer ...  she bled for almost 2 weeks, and cramped and was plain old miserable. you probably have a couple more days to go, but my mom said the doctor said she could bleed for up to 4 weeks without being a cause for concern. good luck, stay well.
480276
Sounds a bit strange. A month and a half seems a bit late to have complications with your port sites. It should have healed up with skin growing over the site. Occasionally you might get a collection generally intraabdominally or less commonly (but would fit more with the localised pain you describe) inside the wound site). Does it look red and do you have a temperature? The problem is wounds tend to get infected earlier than 6 weeks. Unless you get suddenly worse or develop a temperature you don't necessarily need immediate medical attention. It's hard to say over the internet.
888000
Some sutures will dissolve in 7-10 days, as GibbyFitz says, but some will last up to 3 weeks.  (Vicryl)
816362
Yes especially if it involves waiting at the E.R. for stitches.