why can't they take out these sutures?

[sullidog]

I've had these sutures from my previous fistulogram that have been in there almost a month, I usually have the d staff take them out but I got my transplant two days after the fistulogram was done. I asked the hospital if they could pull them and they said that my surgeon that did it would have to remove them and just covered them up with a bandage, so I asked my tx clinic, got same response, the dr. has to do it. just put another bandage on it. My concern is that these sutures have been in there a while and are getting pretty crusty and I'm concerned they are going to get infected. My surgeon can't get me in until 1/7 which is exactly a month since they've been in there. My question is why can't the transplant  clinic pull them? My guess they want to see the dr. make money off of me.

[Simon Dog]

My guess they want to see the dr. make money off of me.

I don't think surgeons get a supplemental billing for removing sutures from one of their surgeries.   In general, most procedures involving "tools" or physical intervention require either direct involvement of an MD, or an order from an MD - no matter how simple or obvious the task.

[jbeany]

They really, really hate to touch anyone's work but their own.  I had to argue for an hour to get my local GP to pull a surgical drain - even with both written and verbal permission from the surgeon at the hospital 3 hours away.  And even then, the only reason the doc did it was I said I was going to clip the stitches and do it myself as soon as I got home if she didn't!  I was soooo tired of it, it was past due to come out, and I couldn't get back in to the surgeon's office for another 3 weeks.  I'd already watched different docs remove 3 of them.  They clipped a few stitches and pulled the tube out slowly and firmly, then taped on a tiny gauze pad.  Period.  And the doc was all in a tizzy - "I haven't done this since medical school....not my specialty....blah, blah, blah...." 

The surgeon who did my parathyroid removal actually missed a few stitches.  It was that clear fishing line stuff - and he slapped a band-aid over the spot as soon as he thought he had them all, so I didn't realize there were still some left until I got home.  Rather than make another appointment, I yanked them myself.   So...this is the part where I ask if you have band aids, antibiotic, alcohol, sharp scissors, and a pair of tweezers....not that I'm giving you any medical advice or anything.... 

[Riki]

wow.. we don't have that issue here... I've had staples taken out by dialysis nurses.. the suture from the removal of my central line was taken out by one of the nurses too

[sullidog]

Yeah when I was on dialysis all but one nurse would take them out, this one nurse, however would not do it without an order. I do know someone that  knows how to remove their own so I may have this person do it, lol.