Suture holes following adult circumcision
Re: suture-hole
Dr. Reed,
My friend was cut or had an adult circumcision about two years ago by someone in NY and anyway has two suture-holes. Is there anything he can do to get rid of that– cream; cut again; what else?
Thanks,
JAMB
Good morning Jamb,
Suture holes and ghost lines come about from not removing sutures on or about the 12th post-operative day. Even waiting 14 days may be too long for some patients. Incomplete removing of sutures such as cutting across the top to remove a knot and leaving a remnant under the skin is also bad cosmetic medicine. To really do this properly, 3 ingredients are needed: a bright overhead light, loupes like jewelers use, and delicate plastic surgery scissors.
All too commonly we hear, I went to my doctor and he said these are disposable sutures, they don’t have to be removed. Not always true if you are looking for a cosmetic closure. Whereas some patients will heal so beautifully with even a journeyman job, others require every trick in the book to bring about the same result.
Now Jamb for the remedy. I would propose if there is desquamated (dried out) skin and suture crud in the suture tract, try removing that first with a very fine jeweler’s forceps (this is a microsurgery tool) and it may just close it, or revising the incision. The reason for these holes are often the suture is ultimately replaced with an ingrowth of skin, and skin against skin will never heal.
Harold M. Reed, M.D.
305-865-2000