medical care in the usa as a foreign tourist

March 21, 2024 5:50 PM

I'm flying out for a holiday to the USA next week from Australia. I currently have some stitches in my leg which may not be ready to remove before I leave. If necessary , how would I go about getting a medical professional to do this for me without breaking the bank?

I'll be somewhere in Texas when this needs to be done if that makes a difference.

posted by onya to Health & Fitness (15 answers total)

I am not a doctor and this is not medical advice, but, um, I have removed stitches from my own face with no ill effects (except for disapproval from the doctor whom I saw later for follow-up, but whatever). I did this because the doctor had tied the stitches too tight and they were cutting into my skin, and my follow-up/removal appointment was still a few days away. There were only two stitches and the original wound was quite small and had clearly healed.

I used a pair of small sharp scissors (on a small Swiss-army knife) and a pair of tweezers. I first doused the area (including all external parts of the stitches) and all tools thoroughly with rubbing alcohol. Then I carefully snipped each stitch just above one of the points where it entered the skin, and pulled it through and out by grasping the knotted ends with the tweezers.
posted by heatherlogan at 6:01 PM on March 21 [5 favorites]

The easiest thing to do would be to go to an urgent care and tell them what you need and that you’re “self pay”. Shouldn’t cost more than a couple hundred dollars, removing stitches isn’t difficult.
posted by rhymedirective at 6:09 PM on March 21 [1 favorite]

Urgent care can remove stitches and can range from $75-$400 uninsured depending on location. Likely somewhere in the middle of that range.
posted by phunniemee at 6:10 PM on March 21

Response by poster: what's an "urgent care"?
posted by onya at 6:14 PM on March 21

Urgent Care provides medical care for issues that fall on the spectrum between a personal doctor and an emergency room. It provides care immediately, without appointment, for serious but non life-threatening issues. Removing stiches is a great example.

ETA: Urgent Cares are pretty prevalent, and are frequently found in retail shopping centers.
posted by NotMyselfRightNow at 6:21 PM on March 21

Response by poster: googling using that term took me to this page which suggests a "retail clinic" is going to be cheaper again. From what I understand this would mean omething like a CVS. (this page is geoblocked for me)
posted by onya at 6:29 PM on March 21 [1 favorite]

Best answer: CVS Pharmacy's Minute Clinic charges $99-$139 as the cash price for stitch/suture removal.

Nthing the need to shop around for the best price. One urgent care clinic (found randomly through an online search) would charge $199 for this service.
posted by oceano at 6:32 PM on March 21 [5 favorites]

You might want to make an appointment at a Minute Clinic (or similar retail clinic) a few days in advance once you are no longer geoblocked. Walk in visits are "subject to availability."
posted by oceano at 7:00 PM on March 21

Urgent Care is less expensive than an emergency room (A&E-accident and emergency) and handles stuff that isn't an emergency. Stitches are removed after thorough washing and sanitizing the area - soap & water and an swipe of alcohol - using sharp, very clean scissors and tweezers. Wash your hands thoroughly and use hand sanitizer beforehand. A dab of antibiotic cream and a bandage might be overcautious, but since you're traveling, not a terrible idea. I have no medical training or credentials, but I'm American and our system is so broken.
posted by theora55 at 8:58 PM on March 21 [3 favorites]

In my area, Urgent Care might let you in immediately, or you might sit in a chair for 3 hours. Depends on how lucky you are that day.

Likewise for Minute Clinic and its competitors. They're designed for walk-ins, but there can be a wait depending on traffic.

In my area, Minute Clinic is typically located inside Target store locations. Target tends to be open fairly late into the evening, but the Minute Clinic inside may have more restricted hours, so it's worth checking opening/closing times.
posted by gimonca at 7:42 AM on March 22

others have mentioned this but I do want to emphasize that many, MANY urgent cares and retail clinics take appointments these days, and some won't actually see you without one (including one near my house that still has a big ol' sign saying "Walk-In"). imo it's worth seeking out an appointment, just to avoid gimonca's scenario of sitting in a waiting room (full of unmasked sick people) for three hours on your vacation.
posted by goodbyewaffles at 12:32 PM on March 22

Stitches removal may not need to be done by a medical professional -- you may be able to do it yourself. Is there the option to speak in advance with your medical care provider in Australia about whether they think it is ok for you to do this yourself, and if they have any advice on what to do / not to do?
posted by sonofsnark at 4:27 PM on March 22

Response by poster: I have an appointment the day before I depart. It will be day 9 and they say it normally takes 10-14 days to heal. Best case scenario they can come out then.
posted by onya at 4:03 AM on March 23

As an American living in Australia, it’s exciting to note that, at least in Victoria, we now have the equivalent of urgent care, in the form of new Priority Primary Care Centres,* which are meant to take the stress off of the ER with treatment for urgent, but not emergency care.

Urgent care centers are a fundamentally good idea, because it’s pretty difficult to find a GP open during evenings or on the weekend.

* The major difference being that these are free for Medicare card holders, because Australia has a reasonably sensible healthcare system.
posted by ec2y at 2:33 AM on March 24

Unless they become infected, I'd buy some small scissors at the pharmacy and snip them myself. They'll be likely to charge you upwards of $100 to do it in a clinic with you being a "new patient" and non-insured.
posted by summerstorm at 12:59 PM on March 30