The Stitches are Out! Content Warning Included!

Blue Green Eyes by Deviantart
@pgiblett (6524)
Canada
April 12, 2016 2:45pm CST
Here is where the content warning kicks in. If you are sensitive in nature then I urge you to go to another post as the details here are graphic in nature. Well I visited the hospital today and am pleased to report that the stitches in my eye have now all been removed. This post is not for the squeamish, but one of the aspects of having a corneal transplant is that the surgeons use stitches to ensure the transplanted cornea has the best chance of success, well today, 11 months after the operation, they took all the stitches out of my eye and I have to say I survived the procedure, but found it to be tough to get through, especially the need to place sharp implements so close to the eye. I am sure this is going to give me a few nightmares.
19 people like this
19 responses
@pgntwo (22408)
• Derry, Northern Ireland
12 Apr 16
Congratulations! Having undergone 2 bouts of retinal surgery (vitrectomy/retinopexy) and cataract surgery on the same eye, I have become more accustomed to images of surgical implements probing inside my eye.
3 people like this
@pgiblett (6524)
• Canada
13 Apr 16
I have a cataract surgery to look forward too, but that is easy compared to the corneal transplant.
3 people like this
@pgiblett (6524)
• Canada
13 Apr 16
@pgntwo my eyes/contact lenses reacted to some crop spraying as far as we can work out. I was driving in a agricultural area with the windows open.
2 people like this
@pgntwo (22408)
• Derry, Northern Ireland
13 Apr 16
@pgiblett What makes/made the corneal replacement a necessity, if it's not too cheeky of me to ask.
2 people like this
@JudyEv (339586)
• Rockingham, Australia
13 Apr 16
You must be really pleased to have this all finished with. I gather it has been successful? Or do you have to wait a while to find out?
3 people like this
@pgiblett (6524)
• Canada
13 Apr 16
The corneal transplant was successful, but I still have to look forward to a cataract surgery on the same eye.
2 people like this
@pgiblett (6524)
• Canada
15 Apr 16
@JudyEv Oh yes.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (339586)
• Rockingham, Australia
14 Apr 16
@pgiblett There is always something isn't there?
1 person likes this
@Hatley (163776)
• Garden Grove, California
12 Apr 16
Gladtha allyour siches are out now good for yo u
2 people like this
@Hatley (163776)
• Garden Grove, California
14 Apr 16
@pgiblett those are the thigs that scare me offf having my cataract removed
2 people like this
@pgiblett (6524)
• Canada
15 Apr 16
@Hatley The cataract removal is a simple operation in comparison to mine. You will be in and out in 10 minutes. I know several people who have had that and they said their sight improved no-end as a result.
1 person likes this
@pgiblett (6524)
• Canada
13 Apr 16
My eye hurt like crazy yesterday. but this morning it is much more settled and not as sore.
3 people like this
@vandana7 (100253)
• India
13 Apr 16
Oh...that was the reason you called me "darlin" by mistake..
2 people like this
@vandana7 (100253)
• India
13 Apr 16
@pgiblett Now you can see my fangs more clearly may be?
2 people like this
@pgiblett (6524)
• Canada
13 Apr 16
@vandana7 They are starting to look bigger. Have you been filing them off to the recommended length? You know there are legal limits on the length of vampire fangs.
1 person likes this
@pgiblett (6524)
• Canada
13 Apr 16
No there is no mistaking you, with all your fangs, but they are clearer than ever before.
2 people like this
@just4him (317040)
• Green Bay, Wisconsin
13 Apr 16
Oh lordy! They would have needed to knock me out for that. I wouldn't have been able to handle it.
2 people like this
@vandana7 (100253)
• India
13 Apr 16
Me too...so I intend to give Peter....Eye Gallantry award for 2016.
3 people like this
@pgiblett (6524)
• Canada
13 Apr 16
But @just4him would say that I had the same view before the operation, I knew it was necessary but was very scared. @vandana7 I am uncertain I need any bravery award, my wife needed that during 2014 for putting up with me.
1 person likes this
@just4him (317040)
• Green Bay, Wisconsin
13 Apr 16
@pgiblett I agree, you need a bravery award. If you can see just the same as before the operation, what did they do? It doesn't sound like it helped.
1 person likes this
@Daljinder (23236)
• Bangalore, India
13 Apr 16
I have WATCHED an eye surgery LIVE at an Eye Hospital. So, reading about it wasn't gory. Hope it went good!
2 people like this
@pgiblett (6524)
• Canada
13 Apr 16
The worst aspect of eye surgery is that you don't go under, your eye is numbed, but you do not have a general anesthetic. Yesterday I had the stitches removed from last year's operation and over the next few weeks my eye is supposed to adjust itself.
2 people like this
@pgiblett (6524)
• Canada
13 Apr 16
@Daljinder No anesthetic, but they eye would have been numbed though. The greatest challenge I had was to keep my hands down, especially when Dr Zachary pressed his thumb down on my nose - I spoke to him afterwards about that and he said I should have said something, how could I?
1 person likes this
@Daljinder (23236)
• Bangalore, India
13 Apr 16
@pgiblett Yikes! Now that is something I didn't know about. Seriously, no anesthetic? Cripes! I remember the surgery I saw. And that happened without anesthetic? *shudder* Must have been helluva scary!
2 people like this
@ElicBxn (63594)
• United States
1 Aug 16
Stitches in the eye... why didn't they put dissolving stitches in - or wouldn't they have lasted long enough? Now, my sister had eye surgery when she was 3 - that would've been about 1960 or 61, and they didn't dissolve properly so the doc had to go in and take the lump that formed out too.
1 person likes this
@ElicBxn (63594)
• United States
2 Aug 16
@pgiblett I was thinking that maybe the eye wouldn't be healed before the stitches dissolved, so they didn't want to use them... I know they didn't use dissolving stitches for my big surgery back in 1998 and I was picking stitches out for several weeks afterwards. Don't ask where... it wasn't the eye...
1 person likes this
@pgiblett (6524)
• Canada
2 Aug 16
These are micro stitches. I asked why they didn't simply dissolve and apparently it isn't possible for such specialist work.
1 person likes this
@pgiblett (6524)
• Canada
2 Aug 16
@ElicBxn I won't ask. My stitches were in for about 9 months after the surgery.
1 person likes this
@scheng1 (24649)
• Singapore
19 Apr 16
I wonder how you manage to survive these few months with the stitches in your eyes! Do you feel the stitches? I think you can ask the doctor to give you the stitches for keepsake.
1 person likes this
@scheng1 (24649)
• Singapore
20 Apr 16
@pgiblett In this case, no point keeping the stitches. You will probably lose it before you reach home.
1 person likes this
@pgiblett (6524)
• Canada
20 Apr 16
That thought of keeping the stitches never occurred to me. The stitches didn't hurt and they were so tiny.
1 person likes this
@pgiblett (6524)
• Canada
20 Apr 16
@scheng1 It didn't even occur to me to ask.
1 person likes this
@maxen07 (882)
• Philippines
23 Apr 16
I play the video game Dying Light on PC so I think I can handle blood and gore, lol! Just hold on be be strong, it will fix your eyesight.
1 person likes this
@pgiblett (6524)
• Canada
24 Apr 16
Thank you.
1 person likes this
• Preston, England
19 Apr 16
sounds very scary - hope you were anaethetized - being awake through such proceedures would be horrible
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@pgiblett (6524)
• Canada
20 Apr 16
Neither for the transplant operation nor for stitches removal was a general anesthetic applied. It isn't possible for eye surgery.
1 person likes this
• Preston, England
20 Apr 16
@pgiblett that would really freak me out seeing the sharp things coming at my eyeballs
1 person likes this
@pgiblett (6524)
• Canada
20 Apr 16
@arthurchappell When I had the operation I had no such fear as I could not see well enough. Having the stitches removed was another matter as I could see the sharp objects advancing and the doctor had to take it slow and steady.
1 person likes this
@carebear29 (31962)
• Wausau, Wisconsin
12 Apr 16
Glad to hear they are finally out.
2 people like this
@pgiblett (6524)
• Canada
13 Apr 16
The only thing is that I have another operation to look forward too, this to remove a cataract.
1 person likes this
@amadeo (111938)
• United States
12 Apr 16
Does not bother me Pete.Just want you to get better there.
2 people like this
@pgiblett (6524)
• Canada
13 Apr 16
Thank you Alfredo, Before having undergone this is was terribly squeamish about the mention of eye related issues.
@amadeo (111938)
• United States
13 Apr 16
@pgiblett Oh! I had cataract surgery for me it was a piece of cake.I expected worse?
1 person likes this
@pgiblett (6524)
• Canada
13 Apr 16
@amadeo My wife had that on both eyes, So I know what to expect.
@brokenbee (11090)
• Philippines
25 Apr 16
11 months? Wow! Those stitches stayed there for so long.
1 person likes this
@pgiblett (6524)
• Canada
25 Apr 16
Yes they did, I had hoped they would be out by 6 months, but I guess they wished to b extra careful.
1 person likes this
• Aberdeen, Scotland
16 Apr 16
Glad the stitches came out ok, not a nice thing to go through
1 person likes this
@pgiblett (6524)
• Canada
17 Apr 16
IIt wasn't a good thing to go through but I feel I am now on the mend.
1 person likes this
@hora_fugit (5862)
• India
14 Apr 16
No, my eyes are going with me. Watching a lasic surgery was enough for me to decide I don't want one. Even if my numbers shoot up from whatever weird position those are already in. Love them.
1 person likes this
@pgiblett (6524)
• Canada
15 Apr 16
Lasic surgery has it's opponents (even in the medical world), I would be nervous about that as well.
1 person likes this
@jaboUK (64354)
• United Kingdom
13 Apr 16
That was a long time for stitches to be in, but at least it's all over by now. Is your sight much improved?
1 person likes this
@pgiblett (6524)
• Canada
15 Apr 16
It is improved, but I still need a cataract surgery on the same eye.
1 person likes this
@Tampa_girl7 (50205)
• United States
19 May 16
What a blessing that they could do this for you.
• Eugene, Oregon
14 Apr 16
I hope that the transplant is a successful one for you.
1 person likes this
@pgiblett (6524)
• Canada
15 Apr 16
I feel good about where I am now compared to the few days when I was totally blind.
@Hannihar (130218)
• Israel
9 Jan 18
It does not sound like fun, but, did it all that you went through work?