question about internal stitches... trying to figure this out...

Hi everyone,

This is something that I've been pondering in my mind since pretty much the day after my surgery.

I see on this board so many times women say that we have hundreds of stitches inside of us.

I have been thinking about this, and I feel like this is such a dumb question, but how can we have SO many stitches inside of us?

I think about where the uterus was, and for me, I had my uterus and cervix out. So, I know for me, there are stitches for the vaginal cuff, and then there must be some stitches where the uterus was tethered by ligaments, or tissues, but it seems like those areas cannot be very big, so would not require very many stitches. I also had my appendix out, so I know there must be stitches where that used to be, but that is a very small organ.

Then, I know, obviously there are stitches in the tissues in my abdominal wall where my bikini cut incision is to close the incision, but that is only about 7 inches long.

To me, if I were to guess, I'd think there were only like 100 stitches in me... haha!! Obviously, I did NOT go to medical school!! haha.

I'm just trying to figure out how there could be hundreds of stitches (when I think of the word hundreds, I interpret that as more than 300.... ). And, how many stitches DO you think we have in us??? I'm sure it varies from person to person and procedure to procedure, but I'm just curious.

Does anyone have any insight on this? I am seeing my doctor on Friday, and I'm going to ask him. :-) He might think it's a silly question, but I think it's interesting....

Oh, the things my mind ponders while I'm in a 6 week recovery!! haha.

I thought the same thing!!!!!!! Funny what fuzzy brain and boredom can do to a person. Hundreds sounded like a lot to me, so I did ask my dr and she said that I only had a few inside and the rest were on my cuff. I had a TVH so I don't have as many as you or others. She didn't tell me the exact number but made it seem like not very many either. When you find out please post as I am curious about this also and have been since I saw others post "hundreds".

Loves to Run,
I have also been wondering this as I hurt so much inside but my incision feels not too bad. I would also be curious to know and look forward to your post!!
Monica

Hey! I actually asked my doctor this question - although I got the "hundreds' without the exact number .... she said she didn't count them all aloud (love a doctor with a sacrastic sense of humor!)

What she did say is there are hundreds because the stitches are very tight together to prevent and 'pulling' or 'seeping' from the internal wound. I would love to know the exact number because some days it feels like I am one big ball of stitches!

I ask my DR how many stitches there were. He said hundreds. He explained that I had 3 layers of stitches. I was on pain meds and can't remember what each layer was now. But I remember him saying that although muscle wasn't actually cut, just seperated, when it was pulled back together he did put in a layer of stitches(to pull the muscle together?). So I guess as we are opened up each layer is sewn back together seperately. I wish I could remember exactly what he said, sorry.