sutures

Hi Michael

I'm 3 weeks post surgery and when I was leaving hospital the ward nurse phoned my practice to leave a message for district nurse to come and check my wound and change dressing ( 3 days after getting home), then to come and remove staples (10 days after getting home). She then arranged to come back out 3 days after removing staples to check wound and remove dressing. I was also given a letter for GP that had same info. My GP phoned me on the Tuesday morning to see how I was and if I needed any more pain meds. She also told me to phone the surgery if I was worried about anything. (I got home on Saturday and hubby took letter to surgery on Monday) I definitely wasn't expected to attend the surgery.

I think you should be getting district nurse out to house, you've got enough to contend with without trying to get out to surgery!!!

Had mine taken out at  spire hospital (Courtesy of NHS as was private)

i was lucky superb care.You should be able to get dressings when you see whoever takes them out.  

Take care.

Lorna

I went to surgery after 2 days, then got district nurse to come.  My wound was leaking quite badly the first time around, and was far too big and messy for my poor wife to cope with.  The look on the surgery nurse's face told us just how bad it was.   I was given a whole load of replacement dressings, probably because they knew we would need them.  

Following the revision operation, the wound was better sealed (more staples I suspect), and we only changed it twice before my staples were removed at 2 weeks.

Graham

Michael - My hospital booklet says visit local Dr 10 days after surgery for stitches and dressings.

I'm in brisbane Australia and we don't have district nurses like in England or New Zealand, although there is a nursing service for the very ill, and elderly, partly funded by the govt.

Should have added after that local Dr had me come and see him weekly for follow-ups until he was happy all was well.

Hey Michael i too are having my Sutures out next week on Friday which happens to be our 16 Wedding Anniversay what a place to spend it in and to have this done. The nurses at the Hospital are dong mine, i have got a feeeling they are gong to hurt, but some people have told me they don't. I go to my own GPs practice to get my dressings changed, hard work i have had then changed for over 7 weeks, now as i had to go back again. Change them every 3 days that it what the nurses told me at our Hospital. I think mine are single ones, someone mentioned to me that they had continueous ones on the incison they had, take care x

I had my dressing changed the ray i left, then had to ring for a district nurse to come and do it, then my physio changed it about 5 days later then another 5 days went and saw practice nurse who said stiches had dissolved she cleaned it, told me to keep it covered for anoth 5 days then loose it.

suexx

Hi Michael, 

wow, so different ... I think that they do have district nurses in Holland but more for the sick and elderly - Remember that we are not considered sick !!!

I had home nurse come daily (I live alone) for one week and she checked scar and changed dressing when needed - 1st THR I was not allowed to take a shower until staples were removed, post-op 2nd THR I could right away - 

Staples were removed after 14 days by the surgeons;s assistant as an outpatient -

It doesn't really hurt - some tight ones pinch upon removal but it was fast and furious - pull pants down so scar is exposed, bend over, and not even 5 minutes, all done ...

I wanted some dressing on it because I didn't  want direct contact on this sensitive area ---

take care, all is well - considering what we already went through, right -- Oh, I am such a baby !!!!

big warm hug

renee

Hi michael,

I have done both methods. Both my NHS operations - a district nurse came to take out the staaples at my home.

Private operation at Spire Hospital - I went to the hospital and a nurse took them out there.

The procedure is painless by the way.