steri strips

i had my 'lost' implanon removed 5 days ago under general anaesthetic. they dressed it with a waterproof bandage and said to leave it on until it falls off. i asked about when to go back to get the stitches out or do they dissolve? well she didnt know what they had used, said their was no mention of stitches so she presumed they would dissolve. ok. so today DD elbowed my wound and it really hurt, so i thought i would just take off the edge of the waterproof bandage to see if it was bleeding or anything. when i did i was surprised to see there arent any stitches at all. just two lines of skin meeting together. FREAKEd out put the dressing back on and taped it down. now i am thining that they used steri strips. i can see two pieces of tape which are stuck to the waterproof bandage so i am thinking that when i pulled the dressing off the steri strip came off too! now i am slightly worried. is 5 days long enough to have the steri strips on? should i take the whole thing off now and put a fresh dressing on? i cant go to GP cause its sunday and i dont think it is worth a 5 hour wait at the emergency at the hospital.

what should i do?

They might have used glue.
They used the glue on my c-section. It's great stuff because it doesn't make any extra marks the way stitches or staples do.

i really wish they would have told me what they used! seriously bad at after care instructions that lot!

Sometimes if you're lucky enough to get a neatfreak dr they will do beeeeyooootiful invisible sutures - sewn from the inside so you can't see the thread at all. I had one like this and it healed to a gorgeous nearly invisible scar.

Most wounds are reviewed 7-10 days after the procedure. I'm disappointed for you that the nurse didn't go and call the Dr who did the procedure and ask them when they wanted it reviewed. That wouldn't wash where I work.

You could pop into the pharmacy and show them the site and they could tell you how it's been dressed and then you could buy more of the product and place over it. I'd be reluctant to tape down a 5 day old dressing that was coming away or pulled off and replaced. If you were told it was ok to take the dressing off when it fell off, I'd leave it open.

I'd call your GP and make an appointment for somewhere between days 7 and 10 to get them to look at the site to make sure it isn't infected (routine post op) and to see how it is healing.

Hope it's not still sore after the elbow!

MG

What Mother Goose said :)

I couldn't see any stitches on my lap scars either - just steri strips on the outside - skin meeting together exactly as you describe. The stitches are on the inside - I recall feeling mine pop when they let go about 10 days after the op.

thanks everyone. i think i will leave the dressing on overnight and try to see a GP tomorrow.