How do stitches work?
Stitches work by pulling and holding tissues together as they heal. They speed up healing, minimize scarring, and decrease the chances of infection.
To place stitches, your provider attaches thread-like materials called sutures to a needle and sews, or stitches, the wound shut.
Typically, stitches don’t hurt.
What are sutures made from?
Physicians Medical Urgent Care can use a few different suture materials to stitch up your wound, depending on the location and severity of the wound. In general, these materials fall into either the absorbable or non-absorbable category.
Absorbable sutures
Absorbable sutures break down naturally, without anyone having to remove them. They are natural or synthetic materials that your body’s tissue enzymes can naturally break down, dissolve, and digest. Such materials include:
- Purified connective tissue (collagen) from cows or sheep
- Polydioxanone (PDS)
- Poliglecaprone (MONOCRYL)
- Polyglactin (Vicryl)
Non-absorbable sutures
Non-absorbable sutures don’t break down; instead, they require your provider to remove them, unless they say that you can leave the sutures in permanently.
Non-absorbable sutures work best for soft tissue repair. Examples of non-absorbable suture materials include:
- Nylon
- Polypropylene (Prolene)
- Silk, a natural braided suture
- Polyester
Also, suture threads can be braided for extra strength or single-threaded for ease of passage through tissues.
When might I need stitches?
You may need stitches if you have a wound that is:
- Gaping or jagged
- Deeper than a quarter inch
- Exposing joint structures, muscle, bone, or deep tissue
- Somewhere you don’t want scarring, like your face
- Numb
- On a limb, such as a hand, that can’t function properly with the wound
- On top of a joint
Also, if you’ve applied pressure to the wound for 15 to 20 minutes, and it still hasn’t stopped bleeding, go to Physicians Medical Urgent Care immediately for stitches.
If you were cut by a rusty or dirty object, you need a doctor to check your wound and may require a tetanus shot.
If you think you need stitches, don’t wait. Head over to Physicians Medical Urgent Care for immediate treatment. The practice offers extended hours, short wait times, and walk-in appointments. To find out more, call or reach out via the online booking tool today.
