Question:
How painful is it to get your incision staples out?

OK. I know I'm being a big wus here, but I'm getting my staples out tomorrow and I'm scared. My incision/staples feel real sore so I'm afraid that means it's going to hurt when they come out. Alot of people here said that it's painless, but I feel like for me it won't be painless. I still have a bottle of Percoset pain med. from the hospital. Would it be recommended to take it before going in to the surgeon tomorrow? If so, how long before & how much? Also, a side question for anyone out there who had open surgery. I don't think it matters what type; mine was RNY, distal. Was your incision 3 1/2" too? My incision is so small that I just can't envision how in the world my surgeon was able to work (or see) in such a small opening!!! I don't mean to be gross, but did he have to pull my intestines out in order to measure for the bypass? If so, I dread to imagine him stuffing them back in! Any OR nurses who have actually witnesses a RNY who can give me step by step gory details about the surgery? I'm burning up w/ curiosity as to what happened to me on that table. You can e-mail me privately as I don't think other people are as weird as me in wanting to know this. Thanks. [email protected]___Btw-I know there are websites where you can view a surgery, but I can't access them w/ webtv.    — lalasmommy (posted on June 4, 2001)

June 4, 2001
It's not painful--at worst, like little pinpricks. Methinks you'll survive.
   — Suzanne B.

June 4, 2001
The staples were a piece of cake...but if you have a drainage tube I recommend you take a pain pill 1/2 hour before you see the doc. I grabbed the nurse when she pulled out the tube...BIG mistake. Best of luck
   — marlene R.

June 4, 2001
I will say like everyone else........ U WILL SURVIVE, NO NEED TO TAKE MEDICATIONS! Its a little twinge here and there nothing u cant handle. I was cut from my chest bone to my genital hair line and sutured and stapled and everything was taken out in one visit and I am still here to tell about it and didnt take any medication. Why do u need to know exactly what happened in the or? That's behind u now and it sounds like u didnt have any complications. If u want to email me feel free. S.
   — Sena P.

June 4, 2001
I hope this is'nt to late. They are no big deal. Geese I lived through having staples taking out of my "groin", so you'll get through this. If you have any questions for your surgeon, then a good time to ask is when he is taking them out. It will get your mind off the staples. It is just some slight pricks when they come out. A relief in my opinion. ;) It won't be bad.
   — Danmark

June 4, 2001
I watched a open on tv once and yes everything comes right out that incision and falls literally back in, stomach and all. It was all very soft a gushy but dont worry they know what they are doing.
   — bob-haller

June 6, 2001
The big wus has survived! Thanks to all of you for your responses. But nobody put my mind at ease by telling me that the surgeon has something that numbs the area alittle before he takes the staples out!!! :-) Well, maybe not all drs use that, I don't know. But my doc had this spray that he put on a cloth which he dabbed on the incision area. The staples coming out then felt like little pin pricks, but NOT painful at all. Then he put some tape strips on the incision. But I have to laught at myself for getting so worked up about it. I mean, here I went through major surgery and all that pain, and then I'm scared about some little staples coming out! As for my wanting to know the details of my surgery; to want to see one on tape - it's not because I'm questioning what the surgeon did to me or anything. I simply am very curious. I have always enjoyed biology and I have watched many surgeries on tv (recently a liver transplant). Now that *I* was a patient on an OR table, I just want to see what they did to ME. I would find it very interesting to watch. Call me weird if you must. But this is who I am and I enjoy these things. Maybe I should have been a doctor. Don't get me wrong. I didn't take offense at any of the responses I got. In actuality, I appreciated them and I thank you.
   — lalasmommy

June 6, 2001
I did not have staples, rather I had what is called subcantaneous (sp?) sutures or surigical glue and tape to bond the opening together. The tape dried and fell off in about a week. I rubbed Neosporin w/pain relief on the scar for weeks. Now I use Vitamin E, and the scar is shrinking. I also have watched the surgery being performed by my own doctor on the internet. I've actually seen it a few times, and now I can explain my surgery to anyone in layman's terms!
   — Peter S.