Forms > Care and Removing your suture

Change dressing as necessary for drainage.

The steri strips will work themselves off – they may be totally removed one week after surgery. The stitches may be removed in 7 days as well.

There will be one of two types of sutures visible at the incision site (see figures below).

If there is NO loop of suture in the middle:

1. Remove the top steri strips that may be holding down the edges of the suture.
2. Remove the up and down strips, pulling from the top down to the incision line and from the bottom up to the incision line, one by one.
3. Cut one end of the suture close to the incision line (arrow #1 in Figure 1), and pull out the suture from the other end (#2 in Figure 1).  There are no knots and it should come out easily.

If there IS a loop visible at the center of the suture line:

1. I will do this if the incision is a bit long.
2. Remove the top steri strips that may be holding down the edges of the suture.
3. Remove the up and down strips, pulling from the top down to the incision line and from the bottom up to the incision line, one by one.
4. Snip the suture loop in the middle (#1 arrow), and pull out the suture from the each end (#2).  There are no knots and it should come out easily