Need Stitches out on Norwegian Bliss

[Nascardeb3]

Unluckily I had an accident this week and wound up with 10 stitches in my hand.  Can they take them out in the Med Center, cost and do you have to make an appt?  I have cruise insurance but also bought Norwegian onboard insurance for $25.  I’ve calledNorwegian but no answer.  Any help would be appreciated in this area or I will have to find an urgent care in some port.  Thank you!   Leaving Friday.

[Defhermit]

just leave them in. much less risky than trying to find healthcare help in a port.

 

ask your doctor if it would be okay if you left the stitches in for an additional week. I'm sure it would fine.

[All-ready2cruise]

I would leave them in as well; much less risky. They might be a little more resistant to removed when you get home but it's much safer and won't really cause any problems, IMO. 

[Defhermit]

I wouldn't even call Norwegian about this. They aren't going to give you any assurances that you will be taken care of onbaord (insurance liability). If anything, it will only increase the odds (very very small) that they will stop you from boarding the ship because you require medical attention that they can't provide.

[Son of a son of a ...]

Prep site with alcohol wipes.  Nail clippers on the suture knots and a little tug with tweezers.  Swipe with a wipe.  Go have a cocktail.  

[Birdie And Sue]

Just take them out yourself.  It is a very easy and painless thing to do.  A small pair of scissors and a pair of tweezers is all you need.

[herdingdogmom]

The medical center on board has a set flat fee to see a Dr. during business hours and then they charge for their time, the procedure and materials.  I'm thinking the flat fee was around $200.  Cruise line insurance doesn't cover something like this.  The medical center charges go to your onboard account and they give you paperwork to submit to your medical insurance provider for reimbursement when you get home.  You should check to see if your medical insurance covers a non emergency situation like this.

Edited May 2, 2019 by herdingdogmom

[valleyvillage]

Using the tweezers, pull gently up on each knot. Slip the scissors into the loop, and snip the stitch. Gently tug on the thread until the suture slips through your skin andout. You may feel slight pressure during this, but removing stitches is rarely painful.

 

It really is very easy.

[OCruisers]

Your doctor may say it's OK to leave them in an extra week.

If not, either take them out yourself or have it done on the ship.  

[suometar]

Unfortunately my husband required emergency medical care while we were on the Escape last month.

 Here is a list of random charges: 

Doctor visit, posted hours: $149; non-posted hours: $199

Nurse visit, posted hours: $49; non-posted hours: $79

Removal of sutures: $89

You might want to ask your doctor if your insurance would cover this. Our health insurance reimbursed us for the almost $6,000 that we were charged, but this was an emergency.  

 

 

[cruiser1955a]

1 hour ago, suometar said:

Unfortunately my husband required emergency medical care while we were on the Escape last month.

 Here is a list of random charges: 

Doctor visit, posted hours: $149; non-posted hours: $199

Nurse visit, posted hours: $49; non-posted hours: $79

Removal of sutures: $89

You might want to ask your doctor if your insurance would cover this. Our health insurance reimbursed us for the almost $6,000 that we were charged, but this was an emergency.  

 

 

Or ask for a seamstress when you board. It might be cheaper.

[newmexicoNita]

1 hour ago, suometar said:

Unfortunately my husband required emergency medical care while we were on the Escape last month.

 Here is a list of random charges: 

Doctor visit, posted hours: $149; non-posted hours: $199

Nurse visit, posted hours: $49; non-posted hours: $79

Removal of sutures: $89

You might want to ask your doctor if your insurance would cover this. Our health insurance reimbursed us for the almost $6,000 that we were charged, but this was an emergency.  

 

 

both times I had to use the ship doctor our insurance also reimbursed us except for what the office call would have been at home. That being said,  I think I would either take them out myself or just wait. It won'd really hurt to keep them in, just a bit annoying 

[suometar]

1 hour ago, cruiser1955a said:

Or ask for a seamstress when you board. It might be cheaper.

 

I'm not sure why you quoted my post which does not have anything to do with the OP's issue. My husband had a medical emergency and he was kept in the medical  center overnight after which he was transferred to the Mt Sinai ER when the ship docked in NYC. At no time did he need sutures removed. The list of prices that I posted are the ones that I thought would be helpful to the OP.

 

[PelicanBill]

I love it when we get a really unusual question, and someone has the exact answer. Bravo!

[DiverJohn]

With the stitches being in one of the op’s hand I am thinking holding tweezers and scissors at the same time will be a challenge lol, unless 3 hands or talented toes......  either way snip the suture as close as you can to where it enters skin and pull out from where it exits skin, alcohol wipe before and after and you will be fine.   If you have the help of a second person having them apply a  slight downward pressure with the closed scissors on the non wound side of stitch while pulling will make the initial tug a little  easier to get moving. 

[graphicguy]

I wouldn’t plan on having the med center on NCL do it.  Either have them removed by your personal Dr either before you leave, or after you return.  While chances are slim anything goes awry just by removing stitches, any medical procedure has risk involved.  Let your own Dr minimize any risk.

[racephoto]

A lot depends on how long you leave them in after they should have been removed. I had to wait a week once and it hurt like heck. I won't do that again.

[OCruisers]

It would be worth it to me to pay the $89 to have them removed at the medical center on the ship.  

[Iworktocruiseandtravel]

16 hours ago, Nascardeb3 said:

Unluckily I had an accident this week and wound up with 10 stitches in my hand.  Can they take them out in the Med Center, cost and do you have to make an appt?  I have cruise insurance but also bought Norwegian onboard insurance for $25.  I’ve calledNorwegian but no answer.  Any help would be appreciated in this area or I will have to find an urgent care in some port.  Thank you!   Leaving Friday.

Did you ask whomever is on your RollCall if anyone can help?  I believe on my last trip someone asked a similar question on our roll call, and a doctor, a nurse, and a paramedic all volunteered... some even had their own supplies... you may need to bring your own alcohol wipes and tweezers and cutters, but I'd rather (personally) have someone who does this routinely take them out than myself (or my husband). 

[smplybcause]

1 hour ago, OCruisers said:

It would be worth it to me to pay the $89 to have them removed at the medical center on the ship.  

 

It would likely be the $149 + the $89. From the charts I've seen listing costs - they charge for every step along the way. 

[Samstress]

I had a medical issue in Barcelona during a pre-cruise stay.  I decided not to seek medical attention until I boarded the ship & the doctor saw me immediately.  It was covered under the travel insurance that I had purchased prior to the cruise.  I would think that the nurse would do stitch removal.  Whatever you decide to do...good luck!  Hopefully it isn't your glass holding hand:-)

[suometar]

2 hours ago, smplybcause said:

 

It would likely be the $149 + the $89. From the charts I've seen listing costs - they charge for every step along the way. 

 

Since my husband had to use the service of the medical center I have a list of their procedures, and the prices.

I doubt that the OP would need to see a doctor in order to have stitches removed, this can be done by a nurse.

therefore I believe that the charge would be $49 for the nurse and $89 for removal of stitches.

[Bean2010]

Get someone with you to remove them. My surgery trained me before we went on holiday and I practised with them on a gauze. Much easier.

[JennVT]

You might also ask your doc or the nurse about a suture removal "kit" if you are traveling with someone who can help you out. And if it is your non-dominant hand you may be able to DIY. I've removed stitches and staples from DH with minimal instruction and a "kit". And stitches from the dog and the cat on separate occasions.  In order of cooperativeness dog...DH...cat. 😉

The kit was gauze, alcohol wipes, and disposable nippers for sutures and for staples the same items except the nippers were a little tweezer type item that somehow squeezed the middle of the staple which disengaged it and allowed it to be lifted away. 

 

[Budget Queen]

I disagree   with most of the "advice"  given above by NON medical people.   There is far more that is done-   with an assessment that licensed professional  are trained for.   It's simplistic to just tell people to take out their own.       First   10 sutures is a lot,  again an assessment of how to proceed,  by a professional is grossly superior.   The claims of  how to remove sutures is a complete violation of infection control and never would be done a professional service.     I've had to deal with the nightmare of treating  too many  dehisced wounds with secondary infections.