Non-dissolvable stitches

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January 3, 2018

Question

I just got stitches (non dissolvable) on my hand. I am due to go to the mikva in three days. Our rav said that it is a chatzitzah… so my question is – should I get the stitches out before the mikva and then get them restitched? Or will steri-strips be good enough to have it heal after removing it? It doesn't seem like a solid enough reason to postpone mikvah, especially since this cycle it has been longer than usual to get clean.

Answer

We recognize the difficulty of extending your time in niddah even further. But unfortunately, once a cut is stitched, it is not possible to remove the stitches and then redo them. You can discuss with your physician the minimum time for suture so you do not need to delay longer than needed.
While there is generally a strong preference to immerse on time, mikveh does sometimes need to be delayed in cases like this.
Refuah sheleimah!

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