does urgent care do stitches

You’re in the middle of making dinner when a slip of the knife leaves you with a deep cut. It’s clearly more than a simple bandage can handle, but it doesn’t feel like a life-or-death emergency that requires a long wait in a hospital ER. In moments like these, a common and practical question arises: does urgent care do stitches? The short answer is a resounding yes, and for many people, it’s the perfect solution for non-life-threatening wounds.

Urgent care centers are expertly equipped to handle a wide variety of minor medical emergencies, and laceration repair is one of their most common services. They provide a convenient, cost-effective, and typically faster alternative to the emergency room for situations that need prompt attention but aren’t critical.

When You Can Rely on Urgent Care for Stitches

Urgent care is an excellent choice for cuts that are bleeding but controlled, and that appear deep or gaping enough to need closure. The medical staff at these clinics are skilled in cleaning wounds thoroughly to prevent infection and are trained in various stitching techniques. They can also administer tetanus shots if yours isn’t up to date, which is a crucial step for any significant cut.

What Kind of Cuts Need the Emergency Room?

While urgent care is incredibly helpful, it’s important to know when a wound is too severe for their scope. You should head directly to the nearest ER if the cut is accompanied by heavy, uncontrollable bleeding, is located on the face near the eyes and requires a plastic surgeon, is extremely deep exposing bone or muscle, or is the result of a major trauma like a car accident. Animal bites or wounds with a deeply embedded object may also be better handled at a hospital.

What to Expect During Your Visit

When you go to an urgent care center for stitches, the process is straightforward. A medical professional will first numb the area around the cut with a local anesthetic, which might sting for a moment but will make the rest of the procedure painless. They will then carefully clean the wound to remove any debris before skillfully closing it with sutures. Before you leave, they will give you clear instructions on how to care for your stitches at home and when you should have them removed.

For those unexpected cuts and gashes that need professional closure, your local urgent care center is a reliable and accessible resource. It’s a smart choice that can save you time and money while ensuring you get the quality care you need to heal properly.