Going To The Urgent Care Center For Stitches
Posted on: 19 February 2021
In the past, if you cut yourself and knew you needed stitches, you would head to the emergency room to wait for someone available to care for you. Thanks to the increased popularity of urgent care centers, that has changed. At an urgent care center, you can go in with a cut and come out with stitches, usually within an hour or two, or other emergency care. However, there are a few tips you'll want to follow to ensure the whole experience is seamless and positive.
Have someone else drive you there.
If you've sustained a serious cut or other injuries, try to have someone else drive you to urgent care, even if you feel you can drive. Depending on the severity and location of the cut, they may want to give you a sedative or a shot of pain reliever prior to the stitches, which may leave you unable to drive home safely.
Bring your insurance information or payment.
Urgent care centers generally try to accept as many different insurance plans as they can, so there's a very good chance your insurance will be accepted. If you have any doubts, call ahead to confirm this. Urgent care centers are also very used to accepting cash payments from patients, so you can absolutely pay in cash if that is what you prefer. Simple services like stitches are surprisingly affordable when performed at urgent care centers. Your cost will be a few hundred dollars, in most cases, compared to the thousands you might pay out-of-pocket for an ER visit.
Be open to suggestions.
Patients often arrive at an urgent care center with a cut, assuming they'll get stitches. But these days, doctors and nurses are increasingly using surgical glue to close and protect wounds. This is cheaper, less painful, and faster than stitches, so if it is suggested to you, don't be afraid to consent to it. Your doctor or nurse may also recommend staples as an alternative to stitches. They go in a lot faster and are better at holding together wounds in areas where the skin is under a lot of strain, such as on your head or over a joint.
If you're prepared for an option other than stitches, have someone drive you, and bring your insurance information along, you'll be set for a great visit to the urgent care center. It's never fun to need stitches, but if you're already in this position, urgent care is the place to go.
For more information about urgent care services, contact a local urgent care center, like 75th St Injury & Illness Center.
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