I have searched and searched and can't find a Poll for this, so I thought I'd start one. I'm curious as to what your incisions were closed with, I think I've covered most of the bases. If you were closed with a combination other than what I've got in the poll, can you write it as a reply to the thread? For example if you (like Wheetsin-I think) had staples and Tegaderm/Opsite, your primary closure would be staples, but I'd love to know about the addition of the Opsite/Tegaderm.

I've heard that the clinic I am going to uses staples, and I am NOT a fan (they itch me terribly!), so I've love to a basic cross-section of what people around the world have had. Maybe I can sway the surgeon? I can dream...

I have the steri-strips on the outside and the dissolvable sutures on the inside of my incisions.

can you request dat the surgeon close your incisions with a certain methos?

and which method is cosmetically "best" that will leave less scars?

Staples for me. They pulled a lot and caused quite a bit of soreness. I didn't like it, but I got over it.

I also had sutures along with the strips. The sutures disolved by themselves and I was to take the strips off after 5 days.

I was a glue girl. That was the first time I ever had the glue and loved it. They didn't itch, pull, get irritated or nothing. And, they eventually just washed off in the shower.

None of the options work for me. Self dissolving suture. No removal, no hassle.

Sure they do: Sutures only.

And I'm glad to hear you had no problems with your dissolving sutures. I am going to be requesting that along with glue when I see the surgeon tomorrow.

I'm crossing my fingers.

Second choice would be dissolvable sutures with steri-strips.

I'd love just glue, but I think I've got too much belly fat and it would pull alot. I've encountered enough dehisced wounds in my day to know I don't want one! :paranoid

Thanks for the responses, don't stop now...:clap2:

Some sort of skin glue...I thought the MD or nurse (who know, I was out of it last week) said it was Dermabond. I guess under the top layer of skin they used dissolvable sutures for the muscles and other layers. When I first saw them I ws shocked. I didn't expect 5 incisions and they were all swollen and puffy - but today at 5 days out of surgery the swelling is down and they are looking good and much smaller. Bruising is setting in today around each incision. icky.

Great question/poll!

Jason

I had Dr. Kirshenbaum too, but I think all he did was use disolvable sutures on the inside and steri-strips on the outside. I know I asked him what he'd use and I do not recall him mentioning tegaderm. What is tegaderm?

I had glue and internal sutures on all my small incisions and those were covered by tegaderm. My port insicion was sutured and steri-stripped and covered with tegaderm as well. I guess ALL OF THE ABOVE for me!

It's like contact paper for the skin, like thin cellophane wrap that sticks to you.

How is that different from a steri-strip? Maybe I just had the tegaderm then on the outside?

It's like contact paper for the skin, like thin cellophane wrap that sticks to you.

A Steri-Strip is more like a papery tape with strands in it, kind of like how fiberglass package tape looks, but made of a paper-like material. Very different.

Here's tegaderm, it's hard to see, but it's the shiny square stuff over the staple line.

I had steri strips on the surface, and sutures under the surface.

I saw the sirgeon today and took all of this data to show him. Their practice uses staples, which I do not want. They itch me something fierce and I've taken enough of them out to know that I do not want them taken out of me. It can be ouchie.

He gave me very valid reasons why they use staples and it has to do with healing and infection rates. They have exceptionally low rates (only one port infected, and that was cleared with oral antibiotics) in the 16 months or so they've been doing the band. I can have nylon sutures instead, but they will likely itch just as much. so I'll probably end up with staples, they will not do steristrips or dermabond. He explained that with the dermabond (glue) there is a higher risk of a seroma and infection than with an exposed wound such as with sutures or staples. And heck, their non-existant infection rate tells me all I need to know, I guess.

Sure they do: Sutures only.

And I'm glad to hear you had no problems with your dissolving sutures. I am going to be requesting that along with glue when I see the surgeon tomorrow.

I'm crossing my fingers.

Second choice would be dissolvable sutures with steri-strips.

I'd love just glue, but I think I've got too much belly fat and it would pull alot. I've encountered enough dehisced wounds in my day to know I don't want one! :paranoid

Thanks for the responses, don't stop now...:clap2:

Most people ... when they think of sutures they think of the type that need to be removed. So I was thinking along those lines.

I had that and paper tape.

I don't suggest paper tape, I still have scars from the tape. Sutures did well, tape was forever type of tape. Had to pry the stuff off to clean the wounds. Doc said to let the tape fall off on its own, being a nurse I just couldn't do that. I HAD to remove the tape and clean the incisions. It's a thing for me. Clean old blood, etc.

I healed fine, but lots of temporary scars.