Skin trauma can occur at a moments notice and can dramatically change the cosmetic appearance of your face and body in an instant. Traumatic lacerations, dog bites, and skin abrasions should be managed emergently using disciplined approaches to wound care and reconstruction. In Los Angeles, our board-certified plastic surgeons have organized Stitch Doctor Los Angeles in order to manage suture repair and lacerations using the latest approaches to skin health.

 

Dr. Raffy Karamanoukian is Director of  Stitch Doctor Los Angeles as well as Kare Plastic Surgery. He is dedicated to professionalism and ethics and can help you manage superficial and complex skin lacerations for children and adults  in an emergency setting. He is a graduate of UCLA School of Medicine and has expertise in scar management, cosmetic, plastic surgery, and reconstructive plastic surgery.

 

The first step in managing your laceration is to isolate the injury and keep it clean from dirt and the environment. It is often advised to keep the wound clean after soaking it in lukewarm water and cleansing any debris or dirt from the skin. Once the wound is clean and free of excessive bleeding, it can be wrapped or bandaged in anticipation of emergency suture repair in our Los Angeles plastic surgery office.

 

If an injury is complex and excessively bleeding and needs emergency management for more serious injuries, contact the nearest trauma center or emergency room for comprehensive care of your injuries. If your laceration is isolated with no other critical injuries, it is best to manage your laceration with a plastic surgeon in a private operating room setting. We offer emergency 24 hour service using our emergency line. You can contact our office by calling 310-998-5533.

 

 

Deciding on whether a laceration requires stitches or dermabond skin glue depends on the severity of the skin injury. Deeper wounds that have a lot of tension require multiple layered stitches in order to re-approximate the different layers of subcutaneous and skin tissue. In doing so, the wound can be managed appropriately in an optimal environment in order to minimize long-term scarring.

 

Facial lacerations should be managed immediately in order to mitigate scars. If you were on vacation or did not have access to immediate care, some lacerations can be repaired  several days later if the wound is kept clean. It is optimal to undergo stitch repair at the earliest time possible.

 

Once you visit our office, we will examine your laceration and offer a surgical plan that may or may not include stitches. Superficial wounds may benefit from dermabond, skin glue or bandage repair as opposed to layered sutures.  Our plastic surgeons are available on-call and can help you decide which option is best for your wound.

 

Suture repair can help you minimize long-term scarring. Sutures can be both dissolvable and permanent depending on the amount of tension in your wound. Permanent sutures include prolene and nylon threads that are removed within 7 to 10 days after repair. Deeper stitches are often performed using absorbable organic material that dissolves with time. Although many patients prefer the easier alternative of derma bond skin glue for stitch repair, we often see patients with considerable tension in their scars that require a more suitable layered stitch approach.

 

Choosing Stitch Doctor LA is a natural decision in an emergency setting. We will facilitate the process so that your child or family member receives the highest level of care. Dr. Karamanoukian has outstanding patient reviews and is an active member of Providence St. John's Hospital.  His critical and well disciplined approach to scar management and suture repair for complex reconstruction has earned him top rated reviews for his comprehensive care of children and adults.