Question:
Sutures dissolvable vs not

I am one month post op and I have a few stiches that have worked their way to the surface. I was actually able to pull a couple out. They look like thick white thread. Do these sound dissolvable to you and if so shouldn't they have dissolved by now?    — Quinceydian (posted on May 1, 2007)

May 1, 2007
This happened to me. I called the surgeon's office and talked to the nurse. She said all they'd do is cut it down to the skin. So that's what I did, and then at 1 month post op, she took a look at them and said I did fine. Apparently they are not dissolvable, but I didn't ask as I knew they were stitches. Once you cut them down to the skin, just use neosporin for a few days.
   — crystalsno

May 1, 2007
Same thing happened to me, I left them alone as much as I could and after about a month and a half, they finally were loose enough to pull out without hurting.
   — SouthTexasKrissy

May 1, 2007
They are dissolvable sutures, but if they aren't kept moist by tissue, they won't dissolve. This happened to me, and I just used tiny suture removal scissors to snip them.
   — jlw0423

May 1, 2007
They are dissolvable sutures, but if they aren't kept moist by tissue, they won't dissolve. This happened to me, and I just used tiny suture removal scissors to snip them.
   — jlw0423

May 1, 2007
Dear Dian, I had my RNY on 11/29/06 and on 12/24/06 I had 2 stitches come through-in 2 different incisions!! I was freaked out-but my hubby pulled them up and snipped them, and the one in the lower incision-actually had been hurting me and feeling like it was snagging on something (just didnt know at the time what it was) well, I called the office on the 26th-and I was told by the nurse that it happens in less than 1% of patients and that what happens is that you must have lost a lot of inches/weight in that area-causing them to surface before they dissolved-she said that body was actually healing before they had the chance to dissolve-and that I could come in for them to remove them (dont think so-it was a 5 hr trip one way) or we could do it at home-so we did it-and I was fine-I actually ended up with 5 in all coming to surface before dissolving and am fine!! Good luck! Love and Prayers to you-Janet
   — want2luv2bme

May 2, 2007
THanks for your answers. I guess I was a little concerned that maybe I shouldn't have pulled a couple out. I don't know how quick the inside muscle, etc. heals. I know my incisions on the outside are healing really fast. I think the sutures being there like that is going to make the scar thicker and not as pretty. I really haven't lost weight fast so wouldn't say that is what's going on. Appreciate any other advice.
   — Quinceydian