Stitches

what can happen if you have an appendectomy 4months ago through laperoscopy and don't have stitches removed?

I had my appendicts removed May25th. My husband works offshore. He was laid off and we have a new home and 4 children. like an ignorant person, i put my health aside and stayed hush until today. I knew i couldn't afford to follow up and have my stitches removed from my bellybutton. Plus, I was scared. 1 week ago my husband left for work in Malaysia. 1 day later the weather changed. My gut has been hurting ever since. What can happen if you don't have your stitches removed?

Public Comments

1. Infection. big time. If you can't afford the Doc, then just get a friend you trust, have a couple of drinks (you not them, lol) or whatever and have them remove them. Use a small, thin, sharp pair of scissors to get between the stitches and skin, and a pair of tweezers to pull the stitches out, one side of the cut stitch at a time. Make sure to clean the area well with betadyne or alcohol, and either boil or place the "tools" in alchohol prior to use. i won't lie, it's gonna hurt. But an infection will hurt worse if you let it go. You risk an internal as well as external infection here, as the stitches will literally rot in place. pull them out quickly, and it will be a quick, sharp burning as each one is removed. thus the reason for a few drinks or a couple of pain pills. Also, clean the area again after removing them with betadyne, alcohol immediately, and do so on a regular basis until totally healed. You'll be fine
2. Make an appointment to get them removed. At my hospital we just put steri strips on that will eventually fall off, there is no umbilical stitches for a laparoscopic appendectomy. If you do have stitches the skin can grow over them making it more difficult to remove. Also of cours infection is a concern.
3. If it is "laparascopy" theres no stitches. You just need to change the bandage and cleans up the area. Even in the event the wound area is healed ,one might encounters mild pain or some tickling sensation around the area. It is advisable to consult your doctor or the general surgeon who did the surgery for follow up post surgery examination. In the event of budget or money is the problem preventing you to seek further treatment/s.Do inform the doctor . They will offers you some discounted rates. However if there really some "stitches" as claimed, please do not wait any longer.As yours is not ordinary skin and flesh wounds. Thank you