Patients are Willing and Successful With Home Suture Removal After Mohs Surgical Procedures

• Published in: Dermatologic surgery Vol. 48; no. 7; pp. 720 - 725
• Main Authors: Seger, Edward W., Neill, Brett C., Patel, Soham, Siscos, Spyros M., Hocker, Thomas L. H.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Lippincott Williams & Wilkins 01-07-2022
• Subjects: COVID-19 - epidemiology; COVID-19 - prevention & control; Humans; Mohs Surgery - adverse effects; Prospective Studies; SARS-CoV-2; Suture Techniques; Sutures
• ISSN: 1076-0512; 1524-4725
• DOI: 10.1097/DSS.0000000000003471

Suture removal after surgery is low risk; however, it is often performed by a medical provider. The current SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has forced providers to assess means of reducing in-person contact.
To determine whether patients undergoing Mohs surgery are willing and successful with home suture removal.
A prospective study was performed with patients undergoing Mohs surgery. Before their surgery, patients were assessed for their willingness to remove sutures before and after viewing educational material. Patients who were willing to attempt removal were contacted after expected suture removal date to verify success and assess their experience.
One hundred fifty patients were enrolled in the study. 90.1% were willing to attempt home suture removal. Patients were more willing ( p = .003), more confident ( p = .024), and had lower anxiety ( p = .049) with removal after viewing educational resources. Patients with a history of suture removal were more likely to attempt removal after their procedure ( p = .036). Ninety-seven percent of patients who were willing to attempt suture removal were successful. There were no major complications with removal.
Patients were overwhelmingly successful with suture removal after an educational intervention. Providers should consider providing this option after surgical procedures when clinically appropriate.