Stiches

My wife has to have minor surgery (on her upper arm)done tomorrow and will require her stiches to be removed in two weeks. The problem is that we will be on 42 day cruise at that time. Will the ship's doctor remove them for her?

I posted this on the roll call but pretty late. Ask to have the doctor use self melting sutures. My wife had tis done once right before a trip we took a while back and it worked well. The sutures just slowly melted away all except for where a small knot was tied She had the doctor remove that when we got home, even tho I could have pulled out for her. Doctor said that that knot should have also melted and probably would have with a little more time

I had the melting stitches after knee surgery last year. Problem is they didn't melt. I had to have them all pulled out.

My wife has to have minor surgery (on her upper arm)done tomorrow and will require her stiches to be removed in two weeks. The problem is that we will be on 42 day cruise at that time. Will the ship's doctor remove them for her?

The Doctor likely will not due it but a Medical Officer will.

My wife has to have minor surgery (on her upper arm)done tomorrow and will require her stiches to be removed in two weeks. The problem is that we will be on 42 day cruise at that time. Will the ship's doctor remove them for her?

I know someone a couple weeks ago that fainted on the plane, hit her head open and was taken to hospital and had stitches and the doctor at the hospital gave her husband the tweezers/cutters so he could take the stitches out himself. He didn't want to do it so one of their friends did it on the cruiseship. The doctor onboard wanted $140 U.S. to do it. I myself would do it and not pay that price, its no big deal. Marlster

I had the melting stitches after knee surgery last year. Problem is they didn't melt. I had to have them all pulled out.

My husband has also had problems with those melting stitches. Many of them didn't melt and he had to go back to the Dr weeks later to have those removed.

My husband has also had problems with those melting stitches. Many of them didn't melt and he had to go back to the Dr weeks later to have those removed.

Good to hear it's not just me. I have strange health problems.

I know someone a couple weeks ago that fainted on the plane, hit her head open and was taken to hospital and had stitches and the doctor at the hospital gave her husband the tweezers/cutters so he could take the stitches out himself. He didn't want to do it so one of their friends did it on the cruiseship. The doctor onboard wanted $140 U.S. to do it. I myself would do it and not pay that price, its no big deal. Marlster

I'd rather pay the $140:D.

Good to hear it's not just me. I have strange health problems.

Sorry to hear that.:(

Two years ago, the ship's Dr. removed stitches from my forehead. $90.00

I don't think I'd have a problem taking them out - I did it for the dog!:) You just need to be gentle. And if it's on her arm, it's not like it's cosmetic.

What's the difference between a doctor and a Medical Officer?

Actually, one of the nurses might do it?

I don't think I'd have a problem taking them out - I did it for the dog!:) You just need to be gentle. And if it's on her arm, it's not like it's cosmetic.

 

What's the difference between a doctor and a Medical Officer?

 

Actually, one of the nurses might do it?

Semantics. Medical Officer is what a doctor is called onboard a ship.

Just take along a small pair of sharp scissors and tweezers. Sterilize the scissors and tweezers then snip the stitch and gently pull them out. After removing the stiches spread some antibiotic cream on the incision and cover with a band aid. I have done this couple of times when I could not get to a Dr. It does not hurt and is pretty easy to do. Most Dr. offices bring a non-nurse to remove stiches. I normally never see the Dr. for removal.

I took my own stitches out a few weeks ago - so simple! The Dr gave me a stitch removal kit but I ended up using my own embroidery scissors instead.

I watched a great video on Youtube before and it made it look so easy I knew I could do it. Just remember that each stitch is tied so you have to cut them out one at a time.

Semantics. Medical Officer is what a doctor is called onboard a ship.

Onboard the ship there Guest Doctor who looks after the guests, a Crew Medical Officer who looks after the crew and does Nurse duties, Lead Medical Officer who is a Nurse and in charge of the Medical Department and Medical Officer who is a Nurse.

I agree, just take along the right tools and remove them for her. I'd never pay someone to take out stitches--staples, yes, stitches, no.

I'd do it myself. It is easy enough.

I had to get stitches the night before boarding the Eurodam in October 2013. I was told to have them removed in 7 days. I went to the infirmary and the doctor removed the stitches. It cost me $69.

Many passengers offered to take them out but I went with the doctor.

My DH got those melting stiches a couple of years ago -- they didn't melt on him either.

Thankfully we were not going on a cruise, so he went back to the doctor to get them removed. Even after the stiches were removed, he still had some oozing of blood.

No way could I cut them out for him -- I am not a nurse. The sight of blood makes me sick to my stomach. I had problems changing his dressing on his arm each day for a week.

I'd rather pay the $140:D.

So would I.

Onboard the ship there Guest Doctor who looks after the guests, a Crew Medical Officer who looks after the crew and does Nurse duties, Lead Medical Officer who is a Nurse and in charge of the Medical Department and Medical Officer who is a Nurse.

Perhaps on the ship/line you have cruised, but other lines call them Doctor (who handles both guests and crew), Nurses, and Medical Admin.

I'd do it myself. It is easy enough.

I do not know if I could.:(

In 2005, I had plastic surgery on my forehead (near the hairline) the day before my cruise. They gave me a suture removal kit and bandages and told me to have them removed in a week. I was leaving on a professional group tour to Greece, with a group of nurses. Included was a four day cruise (six islands) on Louis Lines. I could have asked one of my tourmates to remove them, but I preferred to do a 'social' experiment and go to the infirmary to see what the services were like. It also could have waited until I got home. Well, it was an eyeopener. They really didn't have suture removal instrumentation. They used two sterile, disposable scalpels. they had no containers to dispose of sharps. They just wrapped them back up in their paper wrappers, and put them in the trash. The gauze and tape used for the dressing cost me more than the professional services.

Incidentally, the silk or nylon sutures used for plastic surgery are available in much smaller gauges than the absorbable sutures, therefore leaving less noticable scars. EM

If you pay for me to cruise with you, I'll take them out for free!

My mom raised 4 of us . We were always getting something stitched up while growing up. (OK mostly me *LOL*).

If my mom had a dime for every stitch she took out herself ...

It isn't that hard , and I don't remember it hurting