UK Keratoconus Self-Help and Support Association

Went Manchester to have all my stitches taken out and in the end they just took alternate ones out so in the end just 8 came out.

as always they never tell me anything at the hospital and dont even give me chance to ask things so thought someone here may be able to help.

1) They said during the op that they had lost 2 stitches to the back of the eye. this kind of freaked me out. but they said its nothing to wory about and they sometimes work there way out of the eye. all i have to do is go to casualty when i think one is. (great) is this true? i hate thinking i have two stitches hanging around randomly in my eye.

2) my eye feels a bit strange almost like i can feel a stitch every time i blink. hurts a bit too. is this normal? its only been a day but it wasnt like this with all 16 of the stitches in. should i wait or go to my doctor?

thought i would have no problems with taken them out so its kind of depressed me because i have to go back to work tommorrow.

Really hope someone can help

Hi Pascalini. As to the q 2 - when my 8 stitches was removed, I felt really bad. But after 24-48 h or so pain was gone, totally, also redness was gone. When was your stitches removed? Today? If so, then it is NORMAL. Relax, sleep well and morning will be surely better!

Gr,
Alvin

Well done on gettng to the stitch removal astage.
1. Dunno - I have a single running stitch. SOunds a big EEEK! though, doesn't it?!
2. I gather it's usual o feel a bit uncomfy after the stiches come out.
Good luck.
ROsemary

Thanks for the quick reply Alvin and Rosmary-

The stitches went out on Tuesday. the pain did go down alot today- the thing that worries me is that i feel something every time i blink. they never told me what to expect when i left hospital, wish they would

I know what you are feeling. Every time I visit my doctor, he is so so busy. I try to think through my questions before visit and then just rattle of my questions.

But I think it is tip of stitch which disturbs you. I have felt the same and they removed a lose stitch, toke about 30 seconds. Maybe you should visit again to check out if this pain lasts more than 48 h. Just a thought.

As I said, my experience is, that after removing half of my stitches, i felt very bad same day, in the morning it was all fine. I think it is personal.

Alvin

With regards to question 1 it sounds like the corena has healed well and gone over a couple of stitches. I had this and never been to eye casualty about it when 4 were left in one eye and about 2 in the other. That was about 20 years ago and never had any problems so they might stay put so in my view not worth worryng about until yuo feel any discomfort.

Second question, yeah they eye does irritate for a while as it's had a fair but of proding about and the eye is a bit stingy until the surface of the cornea has healed again, generally about 48 hours.

From your last post it does appear that there is nothing to worry about.

If you are ever worried, just go to eye casualty.

Regarding gettingquestions answered, dont put your chin on the rest for them to look at your eyes until your questions are answered. There nees to be a bit of give and take. You get a question answered they get to look at your eye. If you have another question, just sit back and look the optition as best you can in the eye and go for the next one. They will soon learn the quicker they answer your question, the quicker they can look in your eye and do what they need to do.

nice one Alvin- i will sleep on it tnite then and post in here how it is tmos- fingers crossed.

Gareth that has put my mind at rest then regarding lost stitches- it seems scary knowing they are still in there sumwer waiting to come out lol but you have been fine a long time so hopefully i will be the same. i appreciate your advice

finally decided to go docs today- (friday) my doc referd me to the hospital in preston and they found that a stitch they had cut off was sticking out of my eye and thats what was causing me the pain everytime i blinked. aparently it must of started coming out of the eye.

They tried to pull it out but failed so then said they would cut the end of it so it goes back in the eye.

it felt ok after they did that but now its all started up again- i just dont know what to do. do i go A & E as its a sat? or shall i ring my eye hospital in manchester wer i had it done. i feel so c**p

Hi Steve
I know from experience how painful stitch fragments can be. You really need this sorted so do go back to A&E tomorrow (or to Manchester A&E). Good luck.
Anne

Ok thanks i will do- just didn't know if they would accept me there- they always told me to go docs 1st then get referred but don't no how i could on a Sat. they couldnt pull the stitch out incase the graft cam open, so they just cut it but its started hurting again so it looks like it wants to get out, its becoming a nightmare this.