Taking Care of your Stitches and Staples — Stitches and staples are both used by doctor to close surgical incisions and wounds. With that said, they also help reducing the likelihood of infection, treatment can restore appearance, stop bleeding and restore normal function.
After having a surgery or treatment, your wound (with these stitches and staples) will need care and observation. The healing and recovery process will be significantly faster if infection is avoided, so it’s worth following your home-care instructions.
These are the steps as a simple guideline for taking care the stitches and staples after your treatment at the clinic/hospital:
1. Keep It Clean & Dry
Keep your wound dry for 24 hours after a procedure to minimize the risk of infection.
2. Don’t Scratch
Resist the urge to scratch, even though it is itchy. This could make skin come out, and increases the chance of infection.
3. Limit Your Movement
Even little pressure or movement near a wound can potentially cause it to re-open
4. Replace your dressing daily
Use the sterile gauze and bandages while doing the dressing change
5. Examine your wound for Infection
Infection means serious business; you need to check it with doctor asap, especially if followed by fever, abscesses, bleeding and or pain
After follow the instructions for wound home-care, given by your doctor, the next step will be removing stitches and or staples. In general, they were taken out at different times depending on where the wound is, and how it is healing. However, the range period of time is between 5 to 7 days.
Stitches or staples should be removed by medical professional, you can also ask doctor and nurse come to your home for wound dressing assistance. Book your appointment with our medical professional at BIMC Ubud Medical Centre at admin.ubud@bimcbali.com.
