Laceration? Cut that needs stitches? Call Now:
(310) 998-5533 · Same-day emergency stitches Santa Monica, Los Angeles ·
Adults and Child-Friendly
Kare Plastic Surgery & Skin Health Center · Santa Monica & Los Angeles
Emergency Stitches Los Angeles
804 7th Street, Santa Monica, CA 90403 · Near Montana Avenue · (310) 998-5533
Same-day emergency laceration repair for adults and children by UCLA-graduate and dual board-certified plastic surgeon Dr. Raffy Karamanoukian. Facial lacerations, lip and nose injuries, dog bites, and pediatric stitches with minimal scar technique at Kare Plastic Surgery in Santa Monica.
Call (310) 998-5533 — Same Day Request an Appointment
Minimal Scar Techniquemulti layered sutures
Same-Day Emergency Repairs
Child-Friendly StitchesPlastic Surgery Closure
Emergency Stitches Los Angeles
The ER Closes the Wound. A Plastic Surgeon Ensures It Heals Without a Scar.
Dr. Raffy Karamanoukian Dual Board-Certified Plastic Surgeon Graduate, UCLA School of Medicine · Emergency Laceration Repair · Facial Stitches · Dog Bites · Pediatric Lacerations · Layered Closure · Celebrity Cases · Kare Plastic Surgery, Santa Monica
When you or your child sustains a laceration to the face, lip, nose, or any cosmetically visible area of the body, the decision about where to seek treatment determines the scar your family lives with for the rest of that person's life. An emergency room can close the wound and prevent infection. That is what an ER is designed to do. But ER providers use heavier suture material, less precise technique, and rarely take the time required for the layered closure that a plastic surgeon performs, because the ER has twenty other patients waiting. A face repaired in the ER looks repaired. A face repaired by a plastic surgeon looks like nothing happened.
At Kare Plastic Surgery and Skin Health Center at 804 7th Street in Santa Monica near Montana Avenue, UCLA School of Medicine graduate and dual board-certified plastic surgeon Dr. Raffy Karamanoukian, MD, FACS provides same-day emergency laceration repair for adults and children across Los Angeles. He has treated facial injuries for celebrities and their families, repaired complex dog bites to the nose and lip, and closed pediatric lacerations in a child-friendly clinical environment designed to make a frightening experience as calm and comfortable as possible.
PrecisionDay appointments available
Layered Closure newborns to adults
Fine SuturesMicrosurgical technique
Emergency Stitch Services at Kare Plastic Surgery Santa Monica
- Facial laceration repair — face, forehead, chin, cheek, scalp
- Lip laceration repair — vermilion border realignment and layered closure
- Nose laceration repair — nasal sidewall, tip, columellar base, bridge
- Eyelid and periorbital laceration repair
- Dog bite repair — complex multilayer wound reconstruction
- Pediatric emergency stitches — child-friendly office protocol
- Hand and extremity laceration repair
- ER stitch revision — correction of inadequate emergency room closures
- Post-repair scar management protocol with Vbeam and silicone
Kare Plastic Surgery · Santa Monica · Near Montana Avenue
Need emergency stitches now?
Clinical Case — Kare Plastic Surgery, Santa Monica · Dr. Raffy Karamanoukian
Nose Laceration Repair — Before and After
Actual patient of Dr. Karamanoukian · Nasal sidewall laceration · Same-day repair · Individual results may vary
Nasal Sidewall Laceration — Before and After Active open wound after skin trauma repaired using micro-layered technique to minimize gap and optimize healing. After photo demonstrates precision suturing by Dr. Raffy Karamanoukian.
Why the Nose Is Difficult
The nasal skin is thin, sebaceous, and poorly forgiving of tension or misalignment. A visible scar on the nasal sidewall or nasal bridge draws attention with every facial expression. Dr. Karamanoukian closes nasal lacerations in multiple precise layers, aligning the dermis before placing the final skin sutures so the closing tension is distributed below the surface rather than pulling at the scar line.
The Closure Technique
Subcutaneous and deep dermal absorbable sutures are placed to relieve all tension from the skin closure. The final skin sutures are 6-0 or 7-0 monofilament — the finest available — placed with precise 1mm bites to align the wound edges perfectly at the surface. Sutures are removed at 5 to 7 days. Vbeam laser initiated at 4 to 6 weeks to treat any residual redness.
The Result
Complete invisibility of the repaired nasal wound at the healed stage. The skin shows no color difference, no step-off, and no distortion of the surrounding nasal skin topography. The result shown is representative of what Dr. Karamanoukian achieves routinely with timely plastic surgery repair of nasal lacerations.
The Plastic Surgery Difference
Layered Plastic Surgery Closure Creates Near-Invisible Scars
The single most important factor determining whether a laceration heals with a visible scar or an invisible one is not the severity of the wound — it is the quality of the closure. A simple single-layer ER closure places sutures through all layers of the skin simultaneously, creating surface tension that pulls the wound edges together from the outside. When those sutures are removed, the remaining strength of the repair depends entirely on the surface scar tissue, which is under tension and prone to widening and thickening. A layered plastic surgery closure rebuilds the wound from the inside out.
Dr. Karamanoukian's layered closure protocol begins deep and works outward. For facial lacerations, the sequence is: deep tissue if involved (muscle, fascia), followed by deep subcutaneous, followed by the critical deep dermal layer of absorbable sutures that provide the permanent strength of the repair and relieve all tension from the skin surface, and finally the finest possible monofilament sutures at the skin level placed only to align the wound edges precisely with zero tension. When the skin sutures are removed at 5 to 7 days, the deep dermal layer holds the repair closed completely. The surface scar forms under no tension and remains fine, flat, and imperceptible.
Facial Laceration Triage — When to Call a Plastic Surgeon vs. the ER
| Laceration Type |
Location |
Recommended Provider |
Why It Matters |
| Any facial laceration |
Face, lip, nose, eyelid, ear, chin |
Dr. Raffy Karamanoukian |
Visible scar for life. Layered closure and fine sutures make the difference between invisible and visible outcome. |
| Dog bite or animal bite |
Any location, especially face |
Dr. Raffy Karamanoukian |
Irregular wound edges, tissue avulsion, contamination, and complex anatomy all require plastic surgery reconstruction. |
| Lip laceration |
Vermilion border, commissure, philtrum |
Dr. Raffy Karamanoukian |
Even 1mm misalignment of the vermilion border is visible for life. Requires precise anatomical closure. |
| Scalp laceration |
Scalp, hidden by hair |
Dr. Raffy Karamanoukian |
Scalp lacerations bleed heavily but heal well under hair. ER acceptable for simple scalp lacerations without complex anatomy. |
| Trunk or extremity |
Back, chest, arms, legs |
ER for simple; plastic surgeon for complex |
Simple linear extremity wounds acceptable for ER. Complex, contaminated, or cosmetically prominent wounds benefit from plastic surgery. |
If you can see fatty tissue, your child needs stitches immediately. Other signs that require urgent plastic surgery repair: a wound that won't stop bleeding after 10 minutes of firm pressure, any wound on the face or lip no matter how small it appears, a deep wound with jagged or irregular edges, a dog bite or animal bite anywhere on the body, and any wound in a child under 12 on a visible skin surface. Call (310) 998-5533 for same-day care at Kare Plastic Surgery in Santa Monica.
Lip Laceration
The vermilion border is the precise anatomical boundary between the pink lip mucosa and the surrounding skin. Even 1mm of misalignment creates a visible step that is perceptible at normal conversational distance for life. Dr. Karamanoukian aligns the vermilion border first as the anchoring suture before closing any other layer of the lip wound.
Nose Laceration
Nasal skin is thin and tightly adherent to the underlying cartilage, leaving little room for error in tension or alignment. Dr. Karamanoukian uses deep dermal absorbable sutures to close nasal lacerations under zero surface tension, with 6-0 monofilament skin sutures for final alignment. See the result above.
Dog Bite Repair
Dog bites present as complex multilayer wounds with irregular edges, avulsed tissue, embedded saliva, and varying degrees of tissue loss. Dr. Karamanoukian irrigates extensively, removes devitalized tissue, and closes in layers with antibiotic coverage. See the dog bite case below.
childhood cuts
Children require the same precision as adults and more patience. Dr. Karamanoukian's practice is designed to be child-friendly — a calm environment, topical anesthetic before injection, and the communication skills to treat a frightened child with confidence and care. See the celebrity pediatric case below.
"The scar a child carries from a facial laceration repaired at age 4 or 6 or 10 is with them for the rest of their life. The quality of that repair is decided in the first hour after the injury. I take every pediatric facial laceration as seriously as I would take a facial surgery case, because for that child, it is one."
— Dr. Raffy Karamanoukian · Kare Plastic Surgery, Santa Monica
Clinical Case — Kare Plastic Surgery, Santa Monica · Dr. Raffy Karamanoukian
Lip Laceration and Philtrum Repair — Before and After
Actual patients of Dr. Karamanoukian · Lip commissure and philtrum lacerations · Same-day plastic surgery repair
Philtrum Laceration — Before and After Full thickness philtrum wound · Layered closure · Completely invisible at healed stage
Lip Commissure Laceration — Before and After Vermilion border precisely realigned · Pediatric patient · Invisible healed result
Left: Full thickness philtrum laceration repaired same-day showing complete invisibility at the healed stage — the most technically demanding lip area repair in facial surgery. Right: Lip commissure laceration in a pediatric patient showing precise vermilion border realignment and invisibly healed result. Dr. Raffy Karamanoukian · Kare Plastic Surgery & Scar Treatment Center, Santa Monica
Clinical Case — Kare Plastic Surgery, Santa Monica · Dr. Raffy Karamanoukian
Dog Bite Repair — Nose and Upper Lip
Actual patient of Dr. Karamanoukian · Complex dog bite to nose and philtrum · Multi-layer reconstruction · Kare Scar Treatment Center
Dog Bite — Nose and Upper Lip · Multi-Layer Reconstruction Complex multilayer wound with tissue avulsion · Contamination and irregular edges · Reconstructed in layers
Why Dog Bites Require Plastic Surgery
Dog bites differ from clean lacerations in nearly every clinically important way. The wound edges are irregular and crushed rather than clean-cut. Tissue is often avulsed or missing. The bite introduces oral bacteria directly into the wound. And the force of the bite disrupts multiple layers simultaneously — skin, subcutaneous fat, muscle, and sometimes cartilage in the nose. An ER can irrigate and close a dog bite. Only a plastic surgeon can reconstruct it.
The Reconstruction Protocol
Thorough pressure irrigation removes contamination and embedded debris. Devitalized and crushed tissue is carefully debrided while preserving every millimeter of viable tissue needed for closure. Deep layers are closed individually before skin. When tissue loss prevents tension-free primary closure, local tissue rearrangement techniques are used. Prophylactic antibiotics and tetanus status are confirmed.
Post-Bite Scar Management
Dog bite scars are managed with the same protocol Dr. Karamanoukian uses for all facial scar repairs: silicone tape applied from day 7, Vbeam pulsed dye laser at 4 to 6 weeks for vascular scar suppression, and scar revision surgery at 12 months if any residual contour or pigmentation irregularity warrants secondary attention.
Featured Case — Dr. Raffy Karamanoukian · Kare Plastic Surgery, Santa Monica
Alfonso Ribeiro Trusted Dr. Karamanoukian with His Daughter
Celebrity emergency pediatric case · Covered by Daily Mail and The U.S. Sun
Celebrity Emergency Case · International News Coverage
When a Celebrity Family Had an Emergency, They Called Dr. Karamanoukian
In May 2023, Alfonso Ribeiro — best known as Carlton from The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and host of America's Funniest Home Videos — faced every parent's worst nightmare when his 4-year-old daughter Ava sustained a serious emergency facial injury. The incident was covered by the Daily Mail and The U.S. Sun as major celebrity news. The family brought Ava to Dr. Raffy Karamanoukian at Kare Plastic Surgery in Santa Monica for emergency treatment.
That choice reflects exactly the decision every Los Angeles family should make when a child sustains a facial injury: not the nearest ER, but the plastic surgeon best equipped to produce an outcome a child won't carry as a visible scar for the rest of her life. When celebrities choose a plastic surgeon for their family's emergency, they choose the same surgeon available to every patient who calls (310) 998-5533.
As Reported by the Daily Mail and The U.S. Sun, May 2023
The international news coverage of Ava Ribeiro's injury and recovery placed Dr. Karamanoukian's work at Kare Plastic Surgery in front of a worldwide audience — confirming that for emergency pediatric facial surgery in Los Angeles, Kare Plastic Surgery is where celebrities bring their children.
Clinical Case — Kare Plastic Surgery, Santa Monica
Emergency Stitches — Same-Day Laceration Repair
Actual patient · Same-day laceration repair at Kare Plastic Surgery Santa Monica Los Angeles
Emergency Laceration Repair — Same Day · Kare Plastic Surgery Plastic surgery layered closure · Fine monofilament sutures · Minimal scar technique
Frequently Asked Questions
Emergency Stitches in Los Angeles FAQs
Where can I get emergency stitches in Los Angeles?
Kare Plastic Surgery at 804 7th Street in Santa Monica near Montana Avenue offers same-day emergency stitches and laceration repair for adults and children by UCLA-trained dual board-certified plastic surgeon Dr. Raffy Karamanoukian. Facial lacerations, dog bites, lip injuries, nose repairs, and pediatric emergency stitches. Call (310) 998-5533. We serve patients from Santa Monica, Beverly Hills, Brentwood, Pacific Palisades, Malibu, and all of Los Angeles.
Should I go to the ER or a plastic surgeon for stitches?
For any laceration on a cosmetically sensitive area — especially the face, lip, nose, eyelid, or ear — a plastic surgeon should be your first call rather than the ER when the injury is not life-threatening. Emergency rooms provide adequate wound closure for survival and infection prevention. Plastic surgeons provide the layered closure, fine suture technique, and anatomical precision that produces invisible rather than visible scars. The scar outcome is determined in the first 6 to 12 hours after the injury. It is worth one phone call to Kare Plastic Surgery before accepting an ER closure on your face or your child's face. Call (310) 998-5533.
My child's ER stitches look wrong. Can they be revised?
Yes. Dr. Karamanoukian sees patients for ER closure revision and stitch removal regularly. If your child's ER stitches appear too tight, are producing a step-off at the wound edges, or are not aligning the vermilion border of the lip or other anatomical structures correctly, call (310) 998-5533 immediately. Early intervention before the scar has matured gives the best opportunity for revision. Even after the scar has fully healed, Dr. Karamanoukian's scar revision surgery and Vbeam laser protocol can significantly improve the appearance of a poorly repaired facial laceration.
Does Dr. Karamanoukian treat children for emergency stitches in Los Angeles?
Dr. Karamanoukian has treated facial injuries for the children of celebrities and provides a child-friendly clinical environment with topical numbing cream before any injection, a calm and unhurried approach, and 20 years of experience working with frightened children. He treats pediatric lacerations with the same plastic surgery layered closure standard used for adults — because a child's face deserves the best possible repair, and the scar they heal with is the scar they carry for life. Call (310) 998-5533 for same-day pediatric laceration repair in Santa Monica.
Related Resources at Kare Plastic Surgery
Kare Plastic Surgery & Skin Health Center · Santa Monica · Near Montana Avenue
Emergency? Call Dr. Karamanoukian Now.
Dr. Raffy Karamanoukian, UCLA School of Medicine graduate and dual board-certified plastic surgeon, provides same-day emergency stitches for adults and children at Kare Plastic Surgery in Santa Monica — facial lacerations, dog bites, lip and nose injuries, and pediatric emergency repair with the layered closure technique that produces invisible scars.