Forgotten Suture?

[Londinium]

So far I'm at 68 days (give or take a day) post-op and I've experienced some limited growth in the recipient area (I had hair transplanted into a childhood scar) as well as shock loss around my donor scar. Since my procedure I've been experiencing mild sensitivity around my donor scar, it's difficult to explain. It isn't painful but it isn't comfortable either and on occasion if I turn my head in a certain angle it can still hurt my donor scar or make it feel uncomfortable. I've always attributed this to tightness, etc., of the donor scar - it feels like pulling or something. Anyway, I've been surfing around trying to see if anybody else has been experiencing any odd pain such as weird stinging pain above the actual donor scar and I think I found a post where one hair transplant patient mentioned he had a staple or stitch left over in his donor area. I'm thinking the same may apply to me, which has me worried, and I noticed when I feel my scar there's a slight thread like substance felt above the very edge of my donor scar. What is it? I have no idea as I've never noticed it until now and nobody has ever mentioned it despite the number of people I've had inspect my scar to assure it wasn't stretching during the initial first month or so. I'm planning to go back to my surgeon to have him take a look but I wanted to know if anybody else has had an experience with this. Will this cause any damage to my donor scar? Make it stretch? Will it effect my donor shock loss? I appreciate any answers.

While I'm happy to feel the stubble and hear from others about the signs of growth on my scar so early on the back of my head, I'm now finding this enthusiasm overshadowed by worries of what negative impact a left over suture could have on my donor.

[AGL]

Hi

I had a stitch left behind, but it never caused me any pain or discomfort. At around 3-4 wks post-op I was applying polysorin to the donor and felt something fairly tough and just figured it was scabbing. When I notice a few days later that it still felt the same and sure enough it was a stitch, very small and similar colour to me hair so it was very difficult to detect. My nurse friend found it and just pulled it out with some tweezers, but it took some pulling and was a little uncomfortable. If you feel anything along the donor scar similar to my experience have someone have a very close look. I'd go see the surgeon and let them have a look.

[gillenator]

I also had a lingering staple that had begun to get covered by new tissue from the healing process. My primary doctor removed my staples on my last procedure. Yet she unknowlingly missed the one that was getting hidden deeper.

Feeling the bump and the tenderness of the isloated staple, I went back one month later and she used a small scalpel to uncover one end of the staple and then pulled it out which did hurt. No anesthesia was used.

My recommedation is to go back to your HT surgeon's office to have staples/sutures removed if possible. Otherwise have someone trained in this area do it even if you go to an out-patient facility or your PCP.