Sutures

If you have a laceration or puncture wound and need stitches, the providers at Ocean Urgent Care in Lawndale, California, are here for you. The experienced providers ensure your wound heals by suturing it, and if needed, removing the stitches when it’s fully healed. Call the clinic today or schedule an appointment online to learn more about sutures.

What are sutures?

Sutures, also called stitches, are threads that stitch torn soft tissues back together after a laceration, puncture, or another wound. Some sutures are dissolvable. Others, you must have it removed by your medical provider after some time. 

Your provider at Ocean Urgent Care sutures the wound close and removes the stitches (if needed) once it’s fully healed. The practice is open on weekends and has extended hours during weekdays. 

What are the benefits of sutures?

The main benefits of getting sutures include:

• Highly effective results
• Faster healing
• Reduced risk of infection
• Minimal scarring
• Lower risk of complications

Sutures help wounds heal as quickly as possible. Smaller wounds may not need sutures, while stitches are often necessary for large or deep wounds.

Do I need sutures to treat a wound?

Your Ocean Urgent Care provider lets you know if you need sutures after reviewing your symptoms and examining an open wound. They offer additional wound-care treatments for smaller wounds, such as medical glue, tape, bandages, and antibacterial ointments. Larger wounds may require sutures, staples, or even skin grafting in some cases.

What should I expect when receiving sutures?

During your treatment, your provider completes suture placement in-office. They clean and numb the treatment area to make sure your treatment is pain-free. 

Your provider then uses a tiny needle and threads to sew the torn tissues back together. Each suture may take a minute or two to complete and you might need multiple stitches to maximize healing after a soft tissue injury. 

Make sure to keep the treatment area clean and avoid pulling or tugging on the sutures. Your provider may recommend avoiding swimming for a time until your wound fully heals.

What happens when having my sutures removed?

Some sutures dissolve over time, so you may not need suture removal. If your sutures require removal, your return to the Ocean Urgent Care office to take them out. You may feel some pressure when your provider removes the sutures.

Afterward, you might have some scarring that eventually fades. Your provider lets you know ways to minimize scarring.

Call Ocean Urgent Care today or schedule an appointment online if you suspect you or your child needs sutures.