How to Remove Surgical Staples at Home

Many doctors and surgeons now use surgical staples instead of stitches to suture wounds. Surgical staples allow for a cleaner bonding edge and less scarring, which many patients appreciate. However removing surgical staples can be very painful, both in a hospital and at home. We do not recommend you remove surgical staples at home because a doctor has special tools that minimize pain and are designed to remove the staples and prevent further scarring. But if you choose to remove surgical staples at home, there are a few simple steps to follow.

Things You'll Need

• Surgical staple remover Hydrogen peroxide or antiseptic Clean cloth Ibuprofen or pain killer

Instructions

Remove Surgical Staples at Home

1. Clean the surgical staple area with hydrogen peroxide or antiseptic spray. This is to prevent infection.

2. Use the surgical staple remover to bend and remove the staples from the sutured area. A surgical staple tool bends the staple first, allowing the two ends under the skin to separate and making it easier to remove.

3. Repeat for each staple. There can be dozens to hundreds of surgical staples depending on the length of the affected area.

4. Clean the entire length of the sutured area with antiseptic and a clean cloth once the staples are removed.

5. Inspect the sutured area to ensure no pieces of staple have broken off and remain embedded in the skin.

6. Take ibuprofen or another pain killer to minimize any pain in the area.

Tips & Warnings

• You can purchase disposable skin staple removers from your local pharmacy or online for about $6. They are only good once because of sanitation issues.

• Surgical staple removal is usually best done by a trained professional to minimize scarring and skin damage. If you choose to remove surgical staples at home, be certain you remove whole staples and don't leave any in the skin. Disinfect the sutured area to avoid dangerous infections.