Exact Answer: Within 6-8 hours
It is in human nature that we get hurt at least once in our lifetime. This is not restricted to humans as animals also tend to get hurt every once in a while. The injury can vary from person to person and the situation in which they attained the injury.
The injury received may at times cut in the body that needs to be stitched up before it gets infected and causes a whole lot of other trouble. These stitches are at times called sutures. The sutures can be of different types varying from the length of the cut, depth of the cut, and the time of receiving the cut.
How Long After Cut can you Suture?
| Type of Suture | The time period before the cut to be closed |
| Normal Cuts | 6-8 hours |
| Delayed Closure | 1-2 days |
The cuts that are received in the human body at times may be so simple and at other times it could be so fatal that it can even be a threat to the body. The identification of the length of the cut, the depth of the cut, and the time of the cut is the first step in recognizing the fatality of the cut.
The identification of the cut can also determine whether the wounded person be taken to the doctor or the wound be treated by themselves. This is because small cuts that happen to the body don’t require the assistance of a doctor as a simple dab of an antiseptic solution can make the wound heal faster and efficiently.
Other factors that determine the method of treatment of cuts. These include wounds that need immediate attention like wounds in the sensitive areas of the human body, wounds that have very much risk of causing an unwanted infection, wounds that are caused because of rusted materials, etc.
Another thing to keep in mind is that normal cuts that are in the body should be closed or stitched if needed within 6-8 hours of receiving it. This is to minimize running an infection that can cause complications to the patient.
The next type of stitching is called delayed closure. The stitching is done to wounds or cuts that are already infected. This is done by waiting about 1-2 days after the wounds as during this period necessary antibiotics and other medicines are given to remove all the infection completely.
Why Does it Take Long After a Cut to Suture?
The delay in closing a wound or cut can vary according to all those factors that are said before which include the length of the wound, the depth of the wound, the area of receiving the wound, the material that caused the wound, and the time of receiving the wound.
If an individual proceeds to cover up their wound themselves that would mean that they do not need suture and no longer needs the assistance of a doctor for the treatment of their cut. Sutures are primarily done for longer, deeper wounds that require the tissues of the body to be stitched up so that unwanted infections can no longer get inside the body.
Many doctors advise people who have bad wounds to consume antibiotics so that infections do not arise in their bodies. They would also prescribe other medicines for the faster recovery of the body.
The type of sutures done by a doctor may include those which are;
- Deeper than 0.25 inches that have open gapes
- Near the joints of the body which risks the exposure of the muscle, skin, or bone of the wounded individual
- In the fingers and toes of the patient
- In areas like face, lips, eyelids, etc which can have the effect of getting scars for life
- Have non-stop bleeding even after the administration of first aids
The sutures that are done on the human body should only be done by professional doctors who have the ability for giving proper treatment. This should be done only by surgeons.
Conclusion
Having cuts and wounds are not a terrifying thing for anybody as in most cases these are treatable to the extent that they don’t even leave a trace that the wound ever existed. But deep wounds that are fatal to the human body should get immediate medical help as not doing so can lead to having infections that may or may not be fatal.
Technology has advanced to such a stage that the stitches that are done to cover up the wound are now available in various materials that can even merge with the skin organically. This advancement has proven that surgeries of any kind can be tackled by human beings.