What should you know about how surgical sutures look?

Stitches hold wound edges together while new tissue forms. The thread may be clear, dark, or coloured, and knots or small loops can be visible. Dissolvable sutures gradually break down; other sutures need removal by a clinician at the planned review.

Mild tenderness, tightness, bruising, or a small amount of dried blood can occur near a new wound. Healing varies with the wound's depth and location, the type of closure, movement, and health factors such as diabetes or smoking.

Follow the wound-care instructions you were given. Keep the area clean and use the recommended dressing; do not pull, cut, or twist the thread yourself. Avoid soaking the wound until a clinician says it is safe, and limit activities that stretch the closed skin.

Wash your hands before touching the dressing. If a stitch catches on clothing, cover it rather than trimming it. Take photographs only if useful for tracking change, and arrange the planned review for removal or a healing check.

Arrange medical review if redness spreads, warmth or swelling increases, pain becomes stronger, pus or a bad smell appears, the wound opens, or you develop a fever. Seek urgent help for uncontrolled bleeding, severe pain, loss of feeling, or a pale or blue area beyond the wound.

Ask whether your sutures dissolve, when they should be checked or removed, which activities to avoid, and how to protect the scar from sun. Confirm who to contact if the dressing becomes wet or the wound changes.