Suturing minor wounds
Wounds represent an open portal for contamination and infections to enter the injured person’s body, highlighting that the risk of infection increases the longer the wound remains open. In this sense, it is important to know when the help of a health professional is necessary to close a wound.
Medical assistance is essential when:
The wound is extensive or deep.
You are infected.
It has foreign bodies.
Its edges are irregular.
There is a lot of bleeding or internal bleeding.
It derives from the bite of an animal.
At COPAC we are more than an orthopedic center, in cases of minor wounds our facilities become a wound clinic, where highly trained specialists will evaluate and treat your wounds with the immediacy and responsibility that characterizes us.
What are wound sutures and how are they done?
Wound suturing is a simple and fairly common procedure, in which the aim is to “artificially” close the surface of the open skin to prevent infections and give it the necessary healing time for the internal tissue to heal completely.
The first thing to determine is the type of wound that the injured person presents, these can be: open (with exposure of soft tissue), closed (blows, bruises or internal bleeding) and complex (extensive, deep, with amputation of one or more limbs and severe bleeding).
In any of these cases, the most important thing is to remain calm, carefully clean the wound and cover it with sterile gauze until you reach the health center. Depending on the characteristics of the wound, the doctor will choose the most appropriate type of suture; Below we will develop this point a little more…
Types of wound suturing
Although there is a wide variety of different sutures and techniques in the medical field, these are the 6 most common types of surgical sutures:
Single knot
The simple knot is one of the most common in primary care, which can be used to join the edges of a recent wound or close a blood vessel.
Discontinuous suture
In discontinuous suturing each stitch is made evenly and independently along the wound, this provides a better distribution of tension, allows wound drainage to occur favorably and facilitates the removal of the stitches.
Continuous suture
It is a technique that is applied quickly to directly close a long or straight wound through successive points, preventing dehiscence (post-surgical separation) of the incision.
Mattress knit
The mattress stitch can be executed vertically or horizontally, mainly on lax skins that require both superficial and deep suturing at the same time.
Continuous intradermal suture
Like continuous suturing, it is also usually used in elongated or rectilinear skin wounds with low tension. With an intradermal approach, the suture does not pass through the skin, so marks from scar stitches are ruled out.
Corner suture
This type of special suture allows triangular wounds to be closed, with jagged edges and weak corners, being the option applied in cases of difficult repair.
More Orthopedic Specialties
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Knee
Column
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Shoulders
Arms and Elbows
Hands and Wrists
Cleaning and aftercare of a suture
Cleaning and caring for the sutured area is essential to prevent infections and achieve favorable healing. Here are our recommendations:
Do not allow the sutures to get wet or wet for the first 2 days (keep the area completely dry).
After this time, you can remove the initial bandage and wash the surrounding area 1 or 2 times a day (preventing the soap from falling directly on the wound).
Do not touch or rub the sutures with your hands or the towel when drying.
Put on a new sterile bandage.
Fully comply with the medications prescribed by your treating doctor.
Attend your appointment for the removal of the stitches on time.
Materials used for wound suturing
After evaluating the wound, the doctor will have a clear approach to how to proceed and what type of suture, needle, and technique to use. The basic instruments for suturing minor wounds include: sterilized needle holders, scissors, dissection forceps and scalpel.
Thread to suture the skin can be natural or synthetic, with absorbable (or non-absorbable) tissues depending on the patient’s needs and the location of the lesion. The application of local anesthetics will reduce the patient’s pain and allow the specialist to assess, wash and close the wound properly.
Frequently asked questions
Do sutures leave a scar?
It is totally normal for sutures to leave scars, this is due to the process of rebuilding the tissues and the consolidation of the suture itself. Depending on the type of suture, the injured area and the patient’s genetic predisposition, these can become almost imperceptible, or failing that, form a thick and raised keloid scar.
How long does it take for a suture to heal?
The healing time after an outpatient suture varies according to the anatomical location, size and characteristics of the wound; as well as the general health of the patient, the age and the care that he has given to the sutured area.
The removal of the stitches is done after 7 or 10 days (maximum 14 days), since after this time, the aesthetic appearance can be damaged and the risk of infections is higher.
What to do if a suture becomes infected?
Infected sutures show abnormal signs such as: secretion of pus or fluid, formation of yellow scabs, redness, inflammation, pain, fever, etc. In the presence of any of these warning signs, it is best to visit the specialist who assisted you immediately.
In general, this type of situation is solved in a few days with a schedule of antibiotic medications; However, it is important to see a doctor to rule out serious internal complications.
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