Wound Suturing

When a wound needs stitches

• The edges **do not stay together** when you bring them close
• It is more than about an inch long, or deep
• It is in an area that moves a lot: a joint, a hand
• It bleeds persistently
• It is on the face and the cosmetic result matters

The time window matters

A wound is best sutured **within the first few hours**. Past that margin the risk of infection from closing it rises, and sometimes it is better not to suture at all but to let it close with dressings. So if in doubt, come early: the decision is better made with a fresh wound.

What the procedure is like

It is thoroughly cleaned, **local anesthesia** is applied, and it is closed with material suited to the area. On the face a finer suture is used and removed sooner, so the mark is smaller.

When stitches come out

It depends where they are: on the face after a few days, in higher-tension areas considerably later. We tell you when we finish, and removal is done here.

Aftercare

Keep it dry for the first hours, change the dressing as instructed, and do not strain the area. If increasing pain, spreading redness, pus or fever appear, come back before your scheduled date.

Tetanus

If the wound is deep or dirty and it has been more than five years since your last dose, the booster is given in the same visit.