d36RM racer

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May 26, 2004
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I cut my chin open a week ago at hangtown and had to get my chin stiched up its been 6 days know and im wondering if its ok to take them out myself. I did it once when they didn't see two.
 

KiwiBird

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Jan 30, 2000
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Not that I've ever done it or anything but to correctly remove the stiches you should sterilize anything you use and then pull the stich out of your skin and cut where it has been under the skin and then pull that part back through the skin.

The point of this is to NOT pull any part of the stich that has been outside back through the skin so as to minimize any chance of infection.

Of course what I really meant to say was "You should only have a licensed physician do any work on your body BLAH BLAH BLAH"
 

Moteaux

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Aug 30, 2001
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I guess I should have said also that the way mine were each time, I just snipped them down the middle and pulled out the two halves so none of what had been exposed to the elements and such passed through underneath my skin. I never really thought about how I did it but what Kiwi said makes sense and maybe without even thinking I did something right so as not to expose myself to any undue risks.
 

DRZ_Dad

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Apr 21, 2004
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Should prolly be easy enough to do yourself seeing its your chin, But I tell ya I had some surgery done in my mouth a while back, and I decided about when the time came to get the stitches removed that my time was too valuable to be wasted sitting in a Dr.'s office, so I decided to take em out myself! Man I tell ya what you wanna talk about a high butt pucker factor !!!!!! But you know us guy's once we start something no matter the pain factor we see it through.......... LOL

just becareful! it sure wouldnt hurt to have the Dr. check em and make sure you healed enough to allow the removal, You will feel like crap if you pull em before healed and gotta go get more.........
 

YZ165

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May 4, 2004
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KiwiBird said:
Not that I've ever done it or anything but to correctly remove the stiches you should sterilize anything you use and then pull the stich out of your skin and cut where it has been under the skin and then pull that part back through the skin.

The point of this is to NOT pull any part of the stich that has been outside back through the skin so as to minimize any chance of infection.

Of course what I really meant to say was "You should only have a licensed physician do any work on your body BLAH BLAH BLAH"

Easy as that! :cool:
 

Jeff Gilbert

N. Texas SP
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Oct 20, 2000
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It's no big as I'm sure you know but I doubt 6 days has been long enough.
 

velosapiens

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Mar 18, 2002
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i personally would do it myself, but you shouldn't. a few years back i stuck a tree branch into my knee (and almost out the other side!). after it healed, it was still sore, and finally i felt a little hard spot under the skin. i figured it was a little piece of gravel or something, so i got out my swiss army knife, made a little cut, and used the tweezers to pull out a chunk of wood the size of wooden matchstick. :yikes: the soreness was gone by that night. go figger.
 

jboomer

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Jan 5, 2002
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motohead00 said:
I guess I should have said also that the way mine were each time, I just snipped them down the middle and pulled out the two halves so none of what had been exposed to the elements and such passed through underneath my skin. I never really thought about how I did it but what Kiwi said makes sense and maybe without even thinking I did something right so as not to expose myself to any undue risks.


If you snipped down the middle and pulled on one end, wouldn't the other end be pulled "through"? They are connected under the skin too. What you have to watch out for is pulling the end with the knot out...make sure you pull on the knotted end and not the opposite end....yeouch!
 

dirty~d~

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Apr 17, 2002
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6 days is not long enough... leave them in until the Doc has indicated it's time to remove them. As far as removing them yourself... if you want to chance infection and a horrible scar go for it. Since you're asking I can only assume (yes, yes I know) that you've never done it before... probably not a good idea to try it blindly. Have fun.
 

Nice Guy Eddie

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Jun 30, 2004
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hmmmmm, since this is amateur physician hour I will throw down with some input... having had stitches more times than I can count, and having NEVER had a doctor take them out... My answer would a resounding "yes".... and that 6 days should be plenty of time unless the cut was pretty deep...

next time (unless it's pretty bad), forgo the doctor all together and just fix it with Superglue... (many physicians use this technique... it scars less, holds great, and dissolves itself)
 

Patman

Pantless Wonder
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Dec 26, 1999
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I had the doc do it and I've done it myself (both install and removal). I think having the doc install them is a MUCH better way but to be honest removing them hurts me just as much no matter who's removing them. The super glue is a good plan for things that are small (8-10 stich size or less) and/or are not over a joint that pulls the skin taught (yes personal experience again). If the doc said to leave them for "X" days I'd be inclined to stick with it +/- a day or so. Like Kiwi pointed out snipping as close to the skin as possible on one side and pull the short end through minimizes the chance for infection and keeing everything sterile is a really good idea. A little ice to numb it up helps too.

Then again you might luck out and get a good looking nurse to pull them!

Gota' weigh your options.

The opinion experessed by me are my own and not intended to make anbody else do something stupid even though I may have done it myself.
 

ay2000rm125

Member
May 4, 2004
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it should be fine to take out then. i have taken out several of mine, not to mention about a quarter of the people that come into our ER take them out themselves :ohmy: lol and not to many problems with it. however sometimes skin forms over the stitches and in that case it can casue problems and the doc or PA should take them out.


if you do it yourself just be clean about it and what not. you should be fine.
 

YZ165

YZabian
May 4, 2004
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ay2000rm125 said:
if you do it yourself just be clean about it and what not. you should be fine.

So using the dikes and needlenoze plires I found laying in a puddle of anti-freeze on the shop floor is a bad idea? :laugh:
 

Jeff Gilbert

N. Texas SP
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Oct 20, 2000
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YZ165 said:
So using the dikes and needlenoze plires I found laying in a puddle of anti-freeze on the shop floor is a bad idea? :laugh:
You could always burn them out with a bic lighter :joke:
 

crazywaynz

Member
Jun 23, 2004
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Ok check this out. As a Medic i know the deal and as i rider ive been there. here are your " No Bull ****" options

1. yes its ok once the wound has closed up to take them out but here are your risks.
a) if you re open the wound on accident you are gonna have a nasty scar ( worse than the one you would have had)

b) if it opens you are more prone to cause a secondary infection which in turn will also make the scareing worse etc. etc.

Now unless you dont plan on moveing that part of your body arround a whole lot for next 4-5 days i wouldnt. But if you do do it the right way.

1) Rinse it off real good. get all the crust off etc.

2)Pull up on the knot with some tweezers and cut under the knot.

3) pull swiftly in a straight line away from opposite side the knot was on.

have fun
 

d36RM racer

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May 26, 2004
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YZ165 said:
So using the dikes and needlenoze plires I found laying in a puddle of anti-freeze on the shop floor is a bad idea? :laugh:
I just did that but after the frst one I pulled I sprayed the dikes and pliers with bacteen. :cool:
 

chewgravel

Member
Aug 28, 2004
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I had 14 stitches in my forearm. A lovely (girl word) U shaped gash. I had the Dr pull them out after 10 days. It was a nasty deep cut. MFer! That hurt far more than putting the darned things in! I guess the arm already hurt when getting them, so a little more didn't matter. But getting them out? YIPES... Next time, a glass of wine or two and I will get em myself.
 

bronco95tgp

Member
Aug 14, 2004
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Maybe have a few shots lined up for after you pulled them out Mr.ChewGravel A steady hand would be in best interest, and if you slip, your blood is going to be thinner and take longer to clot with the alcohol in it, then you get a big mess! Be careful mixing those activities in one evening! :eek:
 

chewgravel

Member
Aug 28, 2004
83
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That's Mrs Chew Gravel. And who cares what consistancy the blood is after a few drinks? LOL!
Actually this was not bike related, and the next person that drives their car into a pond will hopefully roll down the darn window before they sink! Note to self...Do not break car windows with fist. Hurts :clue:
 

bronco95tgp

Member
Aug 14, 2004
46
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Dang, my apology Mrs. Chew Gravel. That is pretty hard core to break a car window with a fist if that was your case, my hat's off to you. -Thomas
 
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