Principle of removing thread ends from episiotomy wounds

Giving birth is indeed a very challenging act for women because during the process, the female body needs to endure severe pain. Especially for women who give birth naturally, in order to promote better delivery and avoid vaginal tearing, doctors will perform episiotomy on women during natural delivery. After giving birth, the incision needs to be sutured, but what is the principle of removing the thread ends from the episiotomy wound?

1. After episiotomy, the wound is routinely sutured with 2-0 absorbable sutures. Intermittent sutures are generally used because there may be exudation from the wound. If the exudate inside the wound cannot be discharged to the outside normally after continuous sutures, it will cause subcutaneous fluid accumulation in the wound and infection. Absorbable sutures can be absorbed by the human body in the subcutaneous and fat tissue. The absorption time is generally about one month. Once the subcutaneous sutures are absorbed, the thread ends outside the skin can be discharged from the body on their own. Different manufacturers, different sutures, and different materials may have different absorption times. It is possible that the subcutaneous absorbable sutures can be completely absorbed in about 20 days, or it may take about 40 days to be absorbed.

2. The suture used to suture the episiotomy wound may be ordinary catgut or absorbable suture. If it is ordinary catgut, the sutures on the surface of the wound will usually be removed around 9-12 days after delivery. Absorbable sutures generally do not need to be removed and will usually be absorbed on their own in about a month. If the body is incompatible with this absorbable suture and a rejection reaction occurs instead of absorption, the suture will be expelled and fall off within a certain period of time. In this case, even if the suture is ejected and falls off, the sutured wound has already healed and there is no major impact. The only thing is that the suture should be removed in time after it is discovered that it has been ejected to avoid secondary infection due to foreign body stimulation.

3. For vaginal delivery, perineal laceration or episiotomy wound, the sutures currently chosen are all absorbable. However, some individuals have special conditions and have a rejection reaction to this absorbable suture. Under normal circumstances, this absorbable suture begins to gradually dissolve and be absorbed by the tissue three days after the suture operation. Unabsorbed thread ends will be exposed at the suture site after the incision heals. Once thread displacement reaction is found, they must be disinfected and cut off in time. Otherwise, if not treated in time, it will easily lead to local mucosal inflammatory reaction.