Hollywood Walk-In Clinic Stitches Care & Treatment

Lacerations - cuts through the skin - often require closure with stitches to optimize healing. Hollywood Walk-In Clinic boasts years of wound care expertise.

Assessing Wounds for Stitches 

When a laceration occurs, our providers assess factors like wound size, depth, location, bleeding severity, and degree of contamination to determine if laceration repair with sutures is required for proper healing. We also obtain a medical history of any medications, allergies, or health conditions that could impact wound healing. 

• Size - Larger cuts have greater tissue separation and tension requiring closure. We typically suture lacerations longer than 1/2 inch on the face or 1 inch elsewhere. Smaller cuts may heal well with medical glue or butterfly bandages. 
• Depth - Deeper cuts through fat or muscle layers need stitching to appose tissue layers for proper healing. Shallow wounds may need only topical medical glue.
• Location - Face, hand, foot and joint lacerations often require suturing to minimize scarring. Cuts over bony prominences experience more tension also needing stitches.
• Bleeding - Heavily bleeding wounds need closure to control blood loss and achieve hemostasis. Slowly oozing wounds may stop bleeding on their own. 
• Shape - Jagged, irregular wounds should be stitched closed to align tissue uniformly. Straight, smooth cuts have less disruption. 
• Contamination - Lacerations with embedded debris must be cleaned and evaluated for stitching to reduce infection risk.

Rest assured our experienced clinicians make appropriate stitching decisions based on your unique wound. We'll thoroughly cleanse, anesthetize then precisely place stitches using meticulous technique for optimal cosmetic results.

Sterile Wound Closure Procedures 

To prevent infection risk, we follow sterile techniques for laceration repair including anesthetizing the area, irrigating out dirt and debris, carefully aligning the soft tissue layers within the wound, and closing any deep bleeding blood vessels before precisely suturing the skin edges. Meticulous approximation of the jagged edges with appropriate tension closes the wound optimally.

Procedures include: 

• Cleansing wound with saline irrigation 
• Anesthetizing area with lidocaine injections
• Grassing wound edges to remove debris
• Approximating tissue layers using absorbable deep sutures
• Closing skin precisely with nylon, silk stitches 
• Applying antibiotic ointment and sterile dressing

For complex wounds, we may utilize deep tissue adhesive or adhesive skin closure strips in addition to topical stitches. Proper alignment and tension allows wounds to mend neatly with minimal scarring. We'll provide detailed aftercare instructions for stitch management at home.

Alternatives to Stitches

Proper at-home wound care is crucial for sutured lacerations to heal well and minimize scarring. This involves gently cleaning the area, applying antibiotic ointment, changing dressings regularly, avoiding soaking the stitches, taking prescribed antibiotics, and limiting activity that could pull on the delicate stitches. 

Some less severe lacerations heal well without suturing using these closure methods: 

• Medical Glue - Cyanoacrylate tissue adhesive applied across wound edges acts like liquid stitches closing top skin layer.
• Butterfly Bandages - Special thin adhesive strips pull wound edges together for close approximation.
• Steri-Strips - These strong medical tapes bind wound sides closing gaps.
• Topical Skin Adhesive - Liquid 2-octylcyanoacrylate sprayed over wound seals topically. 
• Surgical Tape - Microporous medical tape helps align wound edges.

These options provide adequate closure for minor tears, abrasions, or superficial cuts in low tension areas. Deeper, longer and gaping wounds still warrant suture repair.

Aftercare for Stitches  

Caring for sutured wounds allows the damage to heal properly and reduces scarring: 

• Keep wound clean and dry using mild soap and water. Dry by dabbing gently.
• Change outer dressings daily along with antibiotic ointment application.
• Avoid soaking stitches or picking scabs over area.
• Take prescribed antibiotics to prevent infection.
• Limit activity and avoid straining stitches.
• Watch for signs of infection - increasing pain, redness, pus.
• Keep follow-up appointments for stitch removal when due.

Careful wound care in the days following stitch placement is crucial. Notify us immediately if you experience any signs of wound infection warranting evaluation.

Seeking Urgent Stitching Care

Severe lacerations causing heavy bleeding, possible foreign objects in the wound, or extensive soft tissue damage require urgent care for proper repair. Facial cuts or those near critical structures and limbs with numbness or color changes also warrant prompt medical attention, even emergency room care, to safely suture the wound and avoid complications from deep cuts and sharp objects. 

• Uncontrolled bleeding not stopping with pressure 
• Suspected foreign object fragments in wound
• Gaping wound edges unable to be closed
• Jagged flap lacerations or amputation injuries
• Facial wounds with nerve, vessel or eye involvement 
• Severe pain, numbness, color changes in limb

Where to get stitches in Los Angeles County?

Hollywood Walk-In Clinic provides urgent stitching any day without appointments. We quickly evaluate trauma severity, anesthetize then precisely repair wounds using meticulous technique. Trust us for appropriate, timely suture placement or alternate laceration closure methods as needed. Breathe easier knowing we can expertly mend your cuts!