Elective CS: stiches V staples pros / cons / preferences anyone?

[GinaTonic]

Having ECS soon due to fibroid blocking cervix. Anyone got an opinion on the above? Thanks in advance.

Zazen, I have one of those scars too. I have taken to wearing "on the waist" jeans instead of hip ones cos they don't rub (and they hide the big granny knickers that I'm still wearing). Sigh.

GinaT - my scar from my elective section is small and neat and very difficult to find now!

Thanks for all your responses so far; who knew there was so much to think about, even in that small detail!(shudder @ beads catching!)
fruitful: they were talking about a trial of labour to "see if" the head could get past grapefruit sized fibroid.
Combined with my spd, and the thought of forceps/tears/ crash cs's etc; I was like "Thanks, but no thanks!"

the bead is not bad, honest. easier to remove than dissolvabes that don't dissolve...

zazen, I lost a litre of blood at mine

Well you win you poor thing mamaG. Wouldn't wish that on anyone. I didn't lose 'enough' for a transfusion... so took about 9 months to get my iron back to normal...

I had dissolvable stitches for my first (emcs) and had no problems whatsoever. Was very shocked to find the beads when I had an elcs, just didn't expect it. They didn't cause any problems and the midwife removed them on day 7 I think, was painless. My scar is very small and neat, not that it matters with my huge belly lol.

The first surgeon I had said that it was his best ever closure lol. The second said wow that is a great scar I am going to make it even smaller, bless them, totally wasted on me, should have concentrated on ladies who have a hope of a flat belly in the first place lol.

Oh lucky lucky you kittyFloss, I have horrible adhesions where the scar goes out beyond my hip bones. Made holding my baby on my hip excruciating, as the skin is stuck to the bones and would pull - OUCH!

I have had an offer by a gynae to go in (SWAT Gynae ) and take out all the adhesions, but am too chicken to have another op.

He said "it was a disgrace what had happened to me and that there was no call for that - you could have taken an elephant out of there!" naturally enough I burst into tears

My dream birth is an elective with a neat little smile scar.

16 litres here MamaG

But my scar isn't that bad Zazen.

The things they never tell you when you first think you'd like an ickle baby ...

What they won't tell you is that it depends on what sort of skin you've got. My obs said dissolvable stitches are her first choice if the skin will take them as you get a better cosmetic effect. (Ahd she has had two sections herself so ought to know).

emcs and I had a long stitch with beads either end. No problems with it and you can't see the scar at all. It's hidden below the hairline and is about 3/4 inches across and silver. Midwife who removed the stitch said it was the best she'd seen, tiny and hidden.

I lost 1 litre of blood and was told that was 'normal/minimal'. Didn't question it. Did have iron levels done 3 days later though and they were 7 which wasn't ideal. Still only up to 9 19 months later.

Had an emcs with DS, and bizarrely in the circumstances I requested staples as have had previous ops and found with these I heal better. However, 9 months later my scar was still quite bumpy and very sore- ended up needing steroid injections into it in a dermatology hospital clinic as I was producing too much scar tissue.

Had another emcs with DD 2.2yrs after DS's one. This time had dissolvable stiches. 17 months on the scar is fine- not a thing of beauty but no reaction like the first (phew!). Now I really don't know if my over-reaction to scarring was due to the staples or not (never reacted before to staples like that) but I probably wouldn't go for them again...just in case! Saying that, and just to confuse matters, I did get a scar infection 2nd time, which I didn't get first time...so who's to know which is best?!

Not very helpful there sorry!
Good luck! x

i think it depends on your surgeon but i had 20 staples with DS2 and they are a lot less painful to remove than stitches although they look gross. TBH you wont really notice them as you will be so engrossed in the new baby. Good luck anyway

I had staples after a womb op...now my belly looks like Frankenstein's head!

(only kidding - looks great...apart from the crepey stretch marks )