Thursday, November 17, 2011

Suture Spitting-not flap failure

#1

#2

#3
Five weeks after surgery, the surgeon said the site was healed and I could resume my regular activities. This would be sitting in my wheelchair 11or 12 hours a day.  Everything I had read indicated a 4 to 6 month recovery period, so I was pleasantly surprised, yet hesitant.  The next day I went out for 2 1/2 hours, rested in bed for 2 hours, then went out for 7 hours.  The following morning during range of motion, blood came out of a staple hole that was situated over the old pressure sore.  The next day a small piece of string was coming through the staple hole-see picture #1 and #2.  Called the surgeon in a panic, and made an appointment for the next day.  Upon examination, the Doctor explained that the wound was healing fast.  The sutures (which I did not know were there) under the skin had not yet dissolved, and the healing tissue was 'spitting' the stitches out.  He snipped the visual piece off (picture #3), and gave me a kit to remove any other stitches  that might push out.  There were three other spots where the stitches could be felt.  The surgeon said everything was fine. The stitches would dissolve with time.  The dark red scar would take 6 months or more to become a skin-colored scar.

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