Staples vs thread stitch

[zipper2]

Just curious as to what was recieved for stitching on
your zippers after heart surgery?
My first ohs i recieved dissolving stitches 16 years ago.
Each surgeon does things a little differently with each of us.
I know every man i saw had staples along with woman also.


zipper2 (DEB)

 

[Cooker]

No external stitches for me .... I was glued shut .... most likely with this......
View attachment 6244

 

[Freddie]

I had stitches.........the dissolving ones
Although I had to get the top knot (finishing stitch) pulled out.
Guess it was to thick to dissolve on its own. That one hurt too, that
could be the reason why I'm not looking forward on getting these finger stitches out.

 

[hensylee]

mine were staples - however, what was underneath, I don't know, except that I had an infection in my leg (I had bypass and they used saphenous vein from leg) that was caused by a thread stitch, Whether there were other stitches and where, who knows. They should dissolve, but this one didn't - at least this part.

 

[Snoviper]

I Had minimally invasive and they used glue.

 

[kfay]

I was stitched from the inside out, both times. The first time I had a big top stitch that came out, this time, nothing.

Kim

 

[Jkm7]

Both times I was glued. Had steri-strips over the incision for about 10 days or so. GREAT.

Makes for minimal scar and the most comfort.

I had staples years ago for an abdominal surgery and I found that very uncomfortable.

 

[Ana]

Hubby's OHS incision was glued together.

 

[Bina]

I had staples and hated them! When they were taken out the nurse put on Steri-strips, much better.

 

[Adrienne]

I had dissolving stitches. As someone else mentioned, the top and bottom didn't dissolve as fast (I guess because the ends were exposed to the air). I finally snipped off the ends with a sterilized scissors!! I don't know if I should have, but I kept playing with the ends and twisting them, so at a certain point I thought "better snipped off".

 

[upchurch131]

Dissolving stitches here- one at about mid chest seemed to pierce the skin and infected the area. I also have a lump at the very top and if I am reading everyone correctly, this might be a knot from a termination of the sutures.

 

[EVELYN]

As we were told, human grade SUPER GLUE!!!

Evelyn

 

[Johnny Stephens]

Glue. I have a thick keloid scar on my abdomen from my Hodgkin's surgery in 1980 where they used stitches. It's still bright red and about as wide as my pinky finger.

The sternum incision is nearly invisible - I assume the glue is part of the reason.

 

[Cris N]

I was glued. Very thin scar.

 

[Scooby06]

Hey all,
Just for everyone to understand, you all got stitches. At least two layers, but most get three, and may have glue on top.

 

[George]

I think they must have used crazy glue on me!

 

[aussigal]

I was glued and so was my leg for the saphenous vein. I also had big 2 inch wide by 9 inch long piece of special thick sticky-tape stuff on both my wounds. I'm wondering if it was similar to that special tape for reducing the appearance of scars. I was amazed to see that the bill for the Bioglue was around $5000. Thankfully the insurance took care of that!

 

[tobagotwo]

I had staples for my outermost layer. They made a good, shiny, metallic appearance as a zipper, and really showed up nicely in the original TOOTS photo.

Best wishes,

 

[PairoDocs]

Hey all,
Just for everyone to understand, you all got stitches. At least two layers, but most get three, and may have glue on top.

Yep, I confirm this. Stitches in the sternum, fascia, and subcutanous layer with glue to protect and approximate the actual skin layer. All the stitches dissolve except in the sternum. I think that the dissolving stitches are what caused the keloid for Chris, since wounds that he has had that were stapled or stitched did not form keloid. As for me, I am allergic to Vicryl (really), so more limited in the dissolving stitches department.

Full moon in Idaho,
-Laura

 

[pamela]

I wonder if an allergy is what caused me to reject nearly every dissolving stitch I took in my most recent knee surgery. I have cast a total of 9 so far out of 2 punctures made to remove the 2 screws from an old ACL repair and I think I'm stewing more.

I've also got adherence and disconcerting bumps beneath my skin where they fastened the tibial graft end of a recent ACL reconstruction on the other knee. They used a newer material to pin the tendon ends in place, that are supposed to dissolve over time. No one's ever told me how long.

Both of my OHS scars cast the knots at either end and I do have keloids over the tube wounds and the abdominal end of the sternotomy. What can be done to solve the problem of post-surgical infections caused by the rejection of this stitching material? Is there another method used on deep wounds that would better heal in my circumstance? I mean, my knee surgery was on July 17th and the stitches have reopened the scar in 3 places as they worked their way out.

I'd like to go into the next surgery I have forearmed with something to suggest to the surgeon who's going to close me. Any ideas would be appreciated.