Stitched, stapled or glued?

[JenniferG]

I just read Vali's post where she said her incision was glued.

I think mine must have been glued also, though I can't remember anyone saying, but I had no stitches or staples. When I showed a visitor my incision which was left uncovered from day 3, she was amazed that it was closed over and no sign of stitches.

Just wondering why some surgeons use staples or stitches or glue.

[JenM]

Great question! I just had surgery with Dr. Boachie on June 8. I didn't have any staples and pretty sure no stitches. Everyone was also amazed at how my back looked at day 3. I guess I was glued?? I have no idea. Or, hmmm, now I'm thinking I may have been stitched but they were internal since I didn't have to go back and get them ripped out. I do remember though my visiting nurse at home was ripping off the little steri-strips that remained on my back at 2 weeks post-op.

JenM

[rohrer01]

I know a lot of docs do what is called a running stitch just under the skin. This stitch is disolvable. If the incision were glued, I would think you would see the glue, as it would tend to peal off. I'm not sure what method most docs use for scoli surgery as I haven't had mine, yet. I have had other surgeries, though.

[debbei]

I had internal stitches and steri strips. I had one real stitch at the top or the bottom, I can't recall. My scar looks very good now.

[JennyRN]

Running stich just under the skin for the first surgery and staples for the second.

[naptown78]

I had surgical glue for my 2 surgeries. It doesn't peel off. It is used for alot of surgeries including joints, heart surgeries etc. There is nothing to remove.

[Back-out]

There's glue and there's glue...!

I've had glue used closing surgical incisions (kind of like crazy glue - only on skin) but for deformity surgery, I was recently told one surgeon, is considering using glue on the bone itself. This must be a completely different kind of glue, though - not what you're asking about here, right?

Think I'll ask about that bone glue in another thread, now that I think of it.

As far as the kind that replaces stitches goes, I'll just observe that the closures I had using "skin glue" left me with the only unsightly scars I have anywhere - gaping white wedges. (They're on my lower legs - residue of what was to have been largely cosmetic varicose vein surgery. HA! That showed me )

Don't anyone worry their pretty little heads about it, though, as
a) this was well over a decade ago and (most of all)
b) these (vascular) surgeons were the worst I ever encountered - ANYWHERE. None of their results are representative of any State of the Art practice, in any way shape or form.

Or for that matter, any NON State of the Art. Besides that their anesthesiologist almost killed me, I don't think they could have done worse on the closure if they HAD used super glue, except that the Walmart product is (probably) more toxic. Boy Scouts improvising on the trail could have done better with Scotch tape. 'Scuze venting abt a painful recollection I relive very time I shave my legs...

I think the right product used right is a wondrous breakthrough.

[ShariMSU]

It's interesting the different approaches. I had some dissolvable internal stiches, but about 25 staples. The staples were then removed about 10 days later. Was not given an option for closure.

[doodie]

I had 147 staples (which I saved when my PCP removed them at 2 1/2 weeks) posterior and internal dissolvable stitches in the caeserian incision. I deferred to Dr. K's preferences. Both incisions have healed nicely.

[kennedy]

My surgeon used dizable sichtes so he didn't have to take them out

[Vali]

Hi all, just thought that some clarification was needed. The deeper layers are not glued. They still are sutured. It is only at skin level that the surgical glue is used. Sorry if i caused any confusion.