staple removal

[Tamara]

Ok, I'm not usually a wuss, but I've got about 25 staples in my head, not to mention numerous sutures AND a liberal (and I mean liberal) application of glue.  I THINK I'm getting the staples removed tomorrow by the otologist, and the neurosurgeon (seen on Tuesday) says he "thinks it might be quite a project".  Does it hurt to have staples removed??  My husband does a lot of woodworking and all I can think of is "staple puller".  The neurosurgeon suggested trying to pick off as much glue as I can, so I've been doing that, but even that hurts  as I'm pretty much pulling out my 1/2 " hair along with it....

Ouch,
Tammy

[cmp]

I hope you get a reassuring answer on this soon... I only had sutures, and getting them removed wasn't uncomfortable at all. Literally all I felt was a sensation of tugging.

Maybe the "project" comment referred mainly to the length of time the process is likely to take (25 staples is a lot!)

Keeping my fingers crossed for you,
Carrie

[Kathleen5306]

Tammy

When I had staples taken out for my first brain surgery in 1996 I was very worried.  I told the neurosurgeon that I was scared and he said "Well, we've already taken out the first one while you were talking."  I was very relieved.  It went a-okay after that!

Kathleen

[Debbi]

I had stitches (spitting and regular as it turned out) and was completely freaked out when I went to get them removed - I felt nothing!  Perhaps the overall head numbness serves a useful purpose after all.  Strangely, though, I could always feel my hair pulling when I took the dressings off my head.  Weird that I could feel hair being yanked out, but not stitches. 

If it turns out to be at all uncomfortable, though, he can probalby give you a shot of Lidocaine to numb the area.  My Neuro did that for me when he cleaned out the incision when I got the infection. 

Let us know how it goes, okay? 

Debbi

[Syl]

Hi, Tammy

I had 15 staples removed, and it didn't hurt at all because the area was numb. It hurt more to remove the rubberband that held up my hair during surgery. Relax, it'll be ok.

Syl

[Nicole222]

I had dissolvable stitches, so I can't speak to that directly.  But, when I had my c-section, I was terrified to have my many staples removed--and I didn't feel a thing

I hope you don't either

[waypoint]

It doesn't hurt hardly at all. If you remember how you feel when your leg falls asleep and the blood rushes back and you get that pins/needles feeling. At the worst it may feel like that for a split instanteous second. normally, it doesn't even hurt at all. I had alot of staples, I'm thinking around 40+ staples. Fretting over it was more stressful than the actual procedure. Bottom line, don't even worry about it.

[lori67]

I had a lot of staples too, and I was worried about getting them out, but I have to say, if I ever have a choice when getting put back together, I'd would chose staples over sutures anytime.  I have always hated the pulling feeling of the sutures coming out but with the staples, I didn't feel a thing.  Now, mind you, I didn't have any crazy glue or other crazy stuff in there, but I'm sure they took into consideration when they patched you up that they'd have to eventually take the staples out.

Good luck!  You'll do fine!
Lori

[Micky]

Gday

I had 40 plus staples removed eight days after surgery did not hurt one bit, a little sting on a couple but nothing to worry about, i was more interested talking to the good looking nurse that was taking them out LOL take care

[Tamara]

Staples, stitches, and glue are gone!   That's the good news.  The bad news is that, while the unglued staples weren't particularly painful, the glued stapled hurt like....well, like the d***ens.  Are any of you old enough to remember Dan Ackroyd's impersonation of Julia Child on SNL (Oh, that hurts like the d***ens!)??  Fortunately (or not, haven't decided), that was only about a third of them.  I think the glue was what made this a project (about 40 minutes) - sort of like a craft project in reverse...

Stapleless, Stitchless, almost glueless (a few remnants),
Tammy

[Pooter]

I'm glad it all (well, almost all) came out well for ya.  That must feel better.  I know it felt good when I had my sutures out finally!  It stinks that some of them hurt coming out, but you are best for it all.  Congrats on this milestone!  Continued healing!

Brian

[cmp]

Sorry it turned out a bit more painful than you were anticipating, Tammy. Hope the upgrade to a shampooable head makes it worthwhile in the end, though, and that those glue remnants are soon a bad memory!

 

[Tamara]

Hey, what I typed in wasn't obscene - but I got astericks when I spelled out D I C K E N S - hope this comes through, otherwise what I wrote makes no sense...

Hmm, we'll see what posts this time
Tammy

[cmp]

Are you saying that your computer censored your post when you didn't use caps for "d***ens"? (I just typed it in myself, experimentally!)

If so, what a highly proper machine! 

[cmp]

I just got the asterisks, too, Tammy!

That is just hilarious...