Question about stitches (gory image included)

[FoylesForBooks]

I had carpal tunnel release surgery last week and now have stitches on my palm. There are five individual stitches. The surgeon told me they would dissolve but a pharmacist looked at them to tell me what dressing to put on when I removed the big bulky bandage I came home with and said he thought I should get the ends snipped off by my GP or nurse as they'll catch on things if I don't wear a plaster.
The wound has closed well but the stitches feel tight and uncomfortable and I'd love to get them taken out. The surgeon said they are dissolvable but I have looked it up and they will take months.
Any doctors or nurses or experts on here - is it too soon to have them taken out if the wound has closed? I don't have a follow up appt at the hospital for two weeks and I think they will drive me mad by then.
Will attach a pic in next post so you have chance to look away now if squeamish.

pic

The redness is marker pen and dried blood.

How many days since your surgery? The length of time it takes for sutures to dissolve depends on the exact suture used, and ones used in skin rarely take that long.
Although you don't have a clinic appointment you could phone the clinic or the 'plaster room' (all acute hospitals should have one and it's where orthopaedic patients are often seen by specialist trained nurses) and ask to be seen by one of the nurses. They would be the best people to advise.

Looking at your pictures I'd guess the suture materiel is Vicryl Rapide, which dissolves pretty quickly (definitely not over months!). The wound looks like it's healing well, but I can't tell for certain from a picture. A nurse trained in wound care (pretty much any Ortho or Plastics nurse) is the best person to look at it and advise.

Thank you - surgery was on Friday.

When the stitches dissolve inside do they just fall out on the outside or do they need a little encouragement from me?!

Agree that looks like Vicryl rapide - it is dissolvable, but may take several weeks, and the bit on the outside wont dissolve, it'll just fall off once the bit inside has gone. Once the wound is fully healed (cant quite tell from the pic, but 10 days is a good starting point) then there is no harm trimming them off at skin level, which a nurse should be able to do for you.

Thank you both - will make an appt with nurse.

While you're here... do I need to keep them covered?

I'd leave them uncovered, but be careful that they don't catch.
I agree with wildfire - trimming the exposed ends won't do any harm once the wound is securely closed over and well on its way to being healed. That material isn't really designed to be pulled out, however, so don't worry if they leave some under the skin.

I had mine taken out my my -mum- nurse college after 14 days they didn't dissolve nor did my sisters after her boob job however my husbands did. If no improvement by 10 days post op see the practice nurse Nurses love taking out stitches and staples

My I phone is stupid it was supposed to be crossed out and say collegue sorry x

Also I read it as your husband's stitches did dissolve after his boob job!

Not a medic so take with a pinch if salt but I always thought itching was good, is the wound healing, tightening, closing.

It is closed and feels very tight

5 days is a little on the early side to take out the sutures, as although it may feel closed it'll still be relatively new, fragile tissue which will need the additional support of the sutures.
Have you been keeping it elevated? Carpal tunnel releases (and really, any hand surgery) can swell quite a bit, and that puts extra pressure on the sutures/healing tissue. That's why when we're taught to suture hand tissue we don't tie them very tight!
You really just need to get the wound looked at by a medical professional

Primary healing usually happens within 72 hours but it takes a lot lot longer than that for the skin to regain its full strength. Primary healing is like the would sealing itself so on some very thin skin (like in your mouth) that's all you need. On your hand, you need longer.

Another point to note that (IMO and anecdotally) resorbable sutures like victim rapide need a bit of "flesh"
Around them to dissolve. Where an area is quite bony or doesn't have much underneath the skin, they can take much longer to get dissolving.

That incision looks great though, really healthy and well healing. You can trim the edges yourself, I'd just make sure to leave at least 3mm of suture so they don't unravel, vicryl rapide is fairly soft so shouldn't really catch? Anyway, no need to keep it covered if it's comfy for you. If not then a dry dressing may be good but best to let it see the sun.

Disclaimer, I'm a dentist so suture faces and mouths routinely, not hands!!

Victim rapide. FFS. Vicryl. Fuck you iPhone.

Thanks chiruri. Will try to get a nurse appt for fri as busy tomorrow.

Keeping it elevated when possible. Actually had my right hand done last year and was v swollen and painful. This time round for my left hand much much better. Hardly swollen at all - wedding ring fitted back on the next day (though only wore it for the whole day today for first time and taken off over night) and whole thing far less painful than last time. Only needed paracetamol for first two days whereas last time needed codeine for several days. Was a different surgeon so don't know whether different technique or just one of those things. He said the ligament was pretty tough to cut and def needed doing so I was surprised by how ok it has felt post op.

Thank you also mrsmorton.

My dcs are very into looking at the scar so am full of hope they have bright medical futures ahead of them! (They are toddlers now but no harm planning...)

I'm really glad it's healing so well, and is relatively pain free this time round.
Hands do tend to heal very well, so they might end up trimming the sutures away if they're no longer needed in a couple of days.