Sorry to bring this here, but this is one of the few forums I post on. During the weekend at work I hurt my hand and had to get stitches. All well and good, but now I have to get them out in just over a week. Thing is I'm moving to Sunderland in Britain in a couple of days and will have to have it done there. While I know how to sort this in the Irish system, I'm at a loss as to where to go in the uk.

Do I go to a GP or the A+E? What kinda costs am I looking at?

I'd really appreciate any info, as I'm at a loss where to look it up and am just hoping for a bit of peace of mind before I make the trip.

 

Go to a GP and sign on there. They'll get a nurse to do it. If you can't manage to find a GP with places available just go to casualty and I'm sure they'll do it there..... after they've made you wait for 6 hours. And it's free!

 

Thanks, thats great. I know it was a stupid question, but I feel a whole lot better knowing.

Do the GP prices vary? I'm a student over to gather funds for uni over the summer, so the quickest route might not be as good to me as the cheapest. Not meaning to be a sponge, but it might be a week or two before I get paid. If it's not a rip I'll spit out for it. It costs €60 to visit a doctor here, so I'm just wondering is it as big a racket there? (I'll try to pay the price of the casualty trip back on beer VAT, promise)

 

A real man pulls out his own stitches with this teeth.

 

Hah, I can't fault your logic man. I was thinking of using a flame and a stanley blade.  

I got the cut on saturday night behind the bar, with about an hour and a half of serving time left. Quick combat triage with a cloth and pressure patched me up enough to finish the shift, granted I had to carry on with only one hand. Seven stitches had to wait until after. Then back to work smiling in the morning, five hours later after taking care of it. That is also how a man does it. Do the work, earn the living.

 

You can take stitches out yourself.

I'm not telling you to do that. But I am saying that I would.

 

Prescription,

Tweezers and some bourbon.

 

I was half-kidding - I would probably do it myself if I knew it was time for them to come out rather than waste my (and the the doctor's) time. If the resident TFW doc says it's not a big deal...

I've never had stitches, but I can imagine what it would entail. A sharp little blade, some tweezers and some balls. It wouldn't even hurt if you did it right, would it?

 

I've had stitches removed from my scalp. It didn't hurt, but it's a bloody weird sensation.

 

Yup. Take you five minutes--just gotta make sure you pull 'em all out. Leaving one in can cause an infection. Throw a Band-aid for a few days, and you're all done.

 

I had some on my knuckle i pulled out.Just felt a itching sensation for a few seconds.

 

I guess a doctor would be a waste of resources. Hadn't even thought seriously to take them out myself. So thanks for the dose of reality. That said I'll make sure this heals clean before I decide to do it. But definitley sounds solid.

Seems I got used to thinking I need to see a professional for everything. Call me a product of social conditioning.

2+2=5

 

I've had a scar on my left (face) cheek since I was 1. Never really noticed it and bothered to get it taken out

 

been there done that

i prefer to use the smallest model cutting blade i can find in the toolbox for that kind of job though

 

All you need is a pair of nail clippers.

 

A doctor would do the same thing honestly. Sharp, and I mean brand friggin new sharp xacto knife, cut one thread and remove it, then the next, so forth and so on. Grab the knot with a pair of tweezers and pull. It will itch like a mofo for a little bit. Put some Hydrogen peroxide on it and you are good to go. Wash the wound with soap and water every day, dry and leave uncovered for a little bit. You'll be good too go in no time.
Please make your medical payments to Armadajetfire  

 

National Health Service GP's are free too. If you just turn up and explain the situation, they'll probably have the practice nurse take the stiches out for you. Personally, I'd let the trained medical professional do the medical stuff rather than do it myself. The oddest things can go wrong sometimes, even with a simple thing like removing a stitch.

 

Just go to a hospital or doctor and ask. Seems anyone can come over and get anything for free here these days.

I remember when I split my chin open right down to the jawbone. It scabbed over the stiches and the doc was pulling at them for ages when it came time to remove them. That did hurt.
Then that night the two-inch scab vanished. Couldn't find it anywhere in my bed when I got up. I think I might've eaten it in my sleep.

 

Seriously man, DON'T take them out yourself! Like I said before - it's free... Even to Irish people.