Welcome to Dr. Nelson's

Incisions HomePage

First posted January 5, 2002 Last updated May 17, 2006


You are here because you want to
know more about your incision.

I close almost all of my incisions with sutures that are under the skin, just like a movie star's face. This is called a "subcuticular" closure, which is just Latin for "under the skin" closure. Although this takes more time and effort (and most surgeons who operate on the hand do not do them, not even hand surgeons), I do it because I think it has several advantages. There are no sutures to be removed, the sutures are not visible and therefore do not frighten the patients, the incision heals better, and I think that there is less chance for infection.

Here is what your incision might look like after surgery:

This is a picture, in the operating room, right after the skin is closed with a subcuticular closure and before the dressing is put on. Note that all the sutures are under the skin and you can't see them.
(If you want to see before and after pictures, click here, but it is rather graphic. I warned you.)

Now, let us look at some other incisions. This first one is a patient who is doing fairly well 10 days after carpal tunnel surgery, but he went back to work fixing diesel engines right away.

This is an incison for a carpal tunnel surgery at 10 days. For a closer look and a description of the incision, click on the image.

This is an incision for a thumb joint replacement surgery (LRTI). For a closer look and a description of the incision, click on the image.

Here is an incision that is infected. The incision was made by an urgent care doctor.



Click on the image to get more history and a closer view.

Incisions will ususally develop some bruising.
The technical name for this is "ecchymosis"

Luckily, infected incisons from hand surgery are very rare, and I have only had about six in 12 years. They are so rare, in fact, that I don't have any pictures of one. Click here to see an example of an infection (cat bite).

Would you like to search the medical library of the National Library Medicine for scientific papers on this topic? Just click on

Remember the admonition from the Patient Education Links Page: the Internet has a lot of information, much of it incorrect. I have reviewed the sites that I have linked to, and have only linked to sites when I personally know the surgeon who posted it, or am a member of the organization that posted it. However, I may not agree with all that is on that site, and it may have changed since I reviewed it. If any of the information is not consistent with what I have told you, please download the material and bring it in.