Where in Dubai
Dr. Subhash Ushakoyala, Specialist Orthopaedic Surgeon, treats cuts and lacerations at Grand Infinity Medical Center in Al Muteena, Deira, Dubai. Before you come, call or WhatsApp the clinic, where his nurse answers, and say how and when the cut happened. Bring your vaccination record or tell him when you last had a tetanus injection. A heavily bleeding wound or one over a broken bone needs a hospital emergency department first.
What is wound and laceration repair?
A laceration is a cut or tear in the skin. Many small cuts and grazes heal at home once they are cleaned and covered. A deeper or wider cut, a gaping wound, or one with dirt or glass in it needs a doctor to clean it and close it, with stitches, staples, skin strips or skin glue, and then a dressing. A wound that may already be infected is sometimes left open at first. Any wound can let in germs, and soil or a deep wound brings a risk of tetanus, so your vaccination is checked. An open injury over a broken bone is an open fracture and is treated in hospital, because the bone itself can become infected.
Who it can help
- A cut that gapes open, is deep, or keeps bleeding after firm pressure.
- A cut longer than about 5 cm, or a bad cut on the face or the palm of the hand.
- A wound with dirt, soil or something stuck in it, such as glass.
- A cut that is getting red, swollen, more painful or leaking pus.
- A wound when you are not sure your tetanus vaccination is up to date.
How Dr. Subhash approaches it
Dr. Subhash is a specialist orthopaedic surgeon. His services list includes the treatment of skin lacerations and open injuries, and suturing of skin lacerations as a procedure in clinic. He checks the depth of the wound and whether a tendon, nerve, blood vessel or bone underneath is injured. He cleans the wound, closes it when the wound is clean enough, and explains how to look after it at home and when to come back.
What to expect
Checking the wound
He asks how it happened, looks at the depth of the cut, and tests the feeling, movement and blood supply beyond it.
X-ray if needed
An X-ray is used when glass or another object may be inside, or a broken bone is possible.
Cleaning
The area is numbed with a local anaesthetic, then the wound is washed out and any dirt or damaged tissue is removed.
Closing
The edges are closed with stitches, staples, strips or glue. A dirty or infected wound may be left open at first.
Dressing and protection
A dressing goes on. A tetanus injection or antibiotics may be needed.
Review
He checks the wound and removes stitches that do not dissolve when it has healed enough.
Recovery, in general terms
Every patient is different. These are typical milestones, not a promise; your own plan comes from your consultation.
- Most cuts start to heal within a few days once cleaned and closed.
- Keep the dressing clean and dry, and change it as often as you are told.
- Stitches on the hands, joints or legs often need longer before they come out than those on the face.
- A scar fades and softens over many months.
Risks to know about
- Infection, which shows as growing redness, swelling, pain or pus.
- Tetanus after a dirty wound in someone not fully vaccinated, which can start days to weeks later with a stiff jaw.
When to book a visit
Book a visit or call the clinic for a cut that may need stitches, a wound that is not healing, or stitches that are due to come out. Call the clinic the same day if a wound becomes red, hot, swollen, more painful or leaks pus, or you feel unwell with a fever. Go to emergency care straight away if you cannot stop the bleeding, blood spurts out, you lose feeling or movement beyond the wound, or a bone can be seen or felt through it.
Where to book
Dr. Subhash sees patients at Grand Infinity Medical Center in Al Muteena, Deira, in north-east Dubai. The clinic is at Shop No. 4, next to the Grand Excelsior Hotel.
Grand Infinity Medical Center
Shop No. 4, next to Grand Excelsior Hotel, Al Muteena, Deira, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
DirectionsCall +971 58 599 7460WhatsApp
Questions patients ask
I cut my hand at work in Dubai. Can he stitch it?
Call the clinic and describe the cut. Hand cuts need a careful check of the tendons and nerves. If the bleeding will not stop or you cannot move a finger, go to an emergency department first.
Does every cut need stitches?
No. Small, shallow cuts usually heal with cleaning and a plaster or dressing. Cuts that gape, are deep, are long, or are on the face or palm are more likely to need closing by a doctor.
Do I need a tetanus injection?
It depends on your vaccinations and the wound. A deep or dirty wound, especially with soil in it, in someone who is not fully vaccinated or not sure, may need a tetanus injection. Tell him what you know about your vaccinations.
Should I take out glass that is stuck in a cut?
No. Leave it in place and press firmly on either side of it, not on it, to slow the bleeding. It should be removed by a doctor.
Book an appointment
His nurse answers the phone and WhatsApp.