Remove sutures?

[BJ47]

I had an FUT procedure and I was told to keep the sutures in for 3 weeks.  By that timeline I should have them removed in a couple days.  The donor scar line is still a bit tender when light pressure is applied.  Normal?  Just want to be sure I’m healed enough for suture removal.  Seems like from what I’ve read 3 weeks is a little on the longer side and should be fine.

[Melvin- Admin]

Have you messaged your doctor? I’ve never had FUT, but let me tag @gillenator he has experience with FUT. 

[BJ47]

5 hours ago, Melvin- Moderator said:

Have you messaged your doctor? I’ve never had FUT, but let me tag @gillenator he has experience with FUT. 

I did, will probably wait until I hear back. Should be just a couple days at most.

[gillenator]

Yes all 4 of my procedures were FUT and the longest that thread sutures were left in were 12 days…my 4th and last procedure were closed with staples.

So, what determines the time frames regarding how long sutures are left in before removal?….most surgeons feel approximately 10-12 days is adequate unless laxity is an issue or possibly the patient has issues with slower healing…the concern is that the patient does not develop a wide noticeable strip scar during the healing process…the method of closure such as a double closure technique can definitely have a bearing as well whereby both the inner dermis layer and outer epidermis layer are sutured separately…the inner layer are sutured with dissolvable material and the outer is a removable thread.

[BJ47]

I heard back from my doc and he said all looks perfectly normal and that I should go ahead and have them removed.  Thanks for the advice!

[gillenator]

Just about anyone who has the experience can remove them.

[BJ47]

Yep, had them removed at an urgent care tonight.  The nurse said “it looks like he did embroidery on the back of your head!” 🤣

Edited January 4, 2023 by BJ47

[gillenator]

An urgent care clinic?…good one!

[BJ47]

15 minutes ago, gillenator said:

Just about anyone who has the experience can remove them.

Yes, I don’t see my new PCP until March so I went to an in-network walk in clinic.

[Rahal Hair Transplant]

@BJ47,

some of the ongoing tenderness at this stage is likely because of the extended suture time. The longer you have your sutures in, the more they will begin to irritate your scalp and possibly cause swelling and possibly even an infection if kept in too long. I’m sure the reason why you’ve been advised to keep your sutures in longer than normal is because of the tension on the wound. I experienced the same thing for my third procedure and by the time the Staples came out, my scar was very red, irritated and tender to the touch. But only after a few days upon staple removal did my scalp begin to feel better.

So while there is definitely good reasons to extend suture time,  keeping them in too long could have adverse effects. So make sure you remove them on the day you’ve been told to order the tenderness and inflammation make it worse.

I hope this helps.

Rahal Hair Transplant