Sutures and Stitches Flashcards
What is a suture?
Any strand of material used to ligate blood vessels or to approximate tissues
How are sutures sized?
By diameter, stated as number of O’s.
The higher the number of O’s, the smaller the diameter.
What are the 2 most basic suture types?
Absorbable and non-absorbable
What is an absorbable suture?
Suture that is completely broken down by the body (dissolving suture)
What is a non-absorbable suture?
Suture that is not broken down (permanent suture)
What are catgut sutures made of?
Purified collagen fibers from the intestine of healthy cows or sheep
What are the two types of gut sutures?
Plain and chromic
What is the difference between plain and chromic gut?
Chromic gut is treated with chromium salts (chromium trioxide), which results in more collagen cross links, making the suture more resistant to breakdown by the body
What is a Vicryl suture?
Absorbable, braided, multifilamentous copolymer of lactide and glycoside
How long does Vicryl retain its strength?
60% at 2 weeks, 8% at 4 weeks
Should you ever use purple-colored Vicryl for skin closure?
No, it may cause purple tattooing
What is PDS?
Absorbable, monofilament polymer of polydioxanone (absorbable fishing line)
How long does PDS maintain its tensile strength?
70-74% at 2 weeks, 50-58% at 4 weeks, 25-41% at 6 weeks
How long does PDS take to complete absorption?
180 days
What is a silk suture?
Non-absorbable, braided protein filaments spun by the silkworm larva.
What is a Prolene suture?
Non-absorbable suture (used for vascular anastomoses, hernias, abdominal fascial closure)