Sutures

Each suture material can be administered with a variety of needles. Needles are distinguished by the shape and structure of the needle body and point, and the way in which they penetrate the tissue.

• Round Bodied (Taper Point): Rounded, smooth needle, sleekly tapered to a point. Ideal for tissue that is easily penetrated, such as blood vessels.
• Curved Cutting (Regular Cutting): Triangular needle, sharp cutting edge on interior curve. Ideal for penetrating thick, tougher tissue like skin.
• Reverse Cutting: Similar to cutting needle, however cutting edge is located on the exterior. This type of needle is stronger than regular cutting needles and has a lower risk of damaging surrounding tissue. They are used in surgery’s such as cosmetic surgery where penetration power and minimizing collateral damage is crucial.
• Tapercut: Body of the needle is round, but culminates into a triangular cutting point. Primarily used when dealing with hard to penetrate, tough tissue, like connective tissue.
• Blunt Taper Point: Needle point is blunted, and is used for sewing friable tissue. They are also designed to prevent accidental puncturing of the needle, which can have severe consequence on the victim.
• Micro-Point Spatula Curved: Needle is flat, with a cutting edge. It is suited for use in ophthalmic surgery.

Benefits of Surgical Sutures:

• Wide variety of materials, each one catering to the different needs of the wound;
• Absorbable sutures are broken down by the body, eliminating the need to remove them after the wound has healed;
• Protects the recipient of the sutures from contracting infections due to gamma sterilization of the sutures;
• Easily disposed, low risk of transferring contaminants since they are single use. Once they have been removed/absorbed, they are discarded;
• Securely closes a wound or lesion to allow and accelerate the healing process;
• Different types of needles can be used with each suture, depending on the requirements of the procedure and the medical professional’s’ decision;
• Relatively inexpensive;
• Sutures are durable and secure in order to sustain closure of lesion for extended periods of time.

Usage
Correct suture material and needle type must be taken into consideration when performing a procedure. If the wrong suture is used, for example a non-absorbable one when an abosbable one should have been used, could have detrimental consequences.

A needle attached with the suture is loaded into a needle holder, and the point is embedded into the flesh. The needle is pushed along a bath that follows the curvature of the needle itself until it surfaces from the flesh, and is drawn through. The suture must be administered carefully to avoid indenting the skin, hudering blood circulation and subsequently increasing the risk of infection or scarring. A surgical knot is used to secure the suture, to prevent the stitching from becoming undone.

It is imperative that sutures are not used if the packaging or seal is compromised. Evidence of this may suggest tampering or loss of sterility. Sutures are gamma radiated to ensure sterility, and it is imperative they remain in that state. If one should come across sutures inside compromised packaging, the correct course of action is to dispose of it quickly and safely.

Precautions

• It is of utmost importance that sutures are not reused. Once used, the device is not fit to be salvaged for further used, as sterilization cannot be retained. Re-using sutures can result in infections being transmitted, putting both the health practitioner and patient at risk;
• Must prepare the sutures for use in a clean, sterile environment, absent of bodily fluids or other sources of contamination;
• Sterile gloves must be worn when applying the sutures;
• Promptly and safely dispose of any sutures that have touched a potentially contaminated surface;
• Correct material must be selected according to procedure – if for example internal tissue needs to be stitched up, the absorbable sutures should be opted for, as the body will degrade them, eliminating the need to remove them at a later date;
• Care must be taken when selecting the correct needle – If rough tissue such as skin is being penetrated, a cutting edge needle should be chosen over a tapered, smooth needle;
• Needle stick injuries (accidental puncturing of needles) can be dangerous, and extreme care must be taken to ensure it does not happen. It can cause diseases to be spread and contracted, such as HIV and Hepatitis B.

Materials
Surgical sutures are manufactured using a variety of materials. The sutures in the range offered by AdvaCare come in absorbable and non-absorbable materials. The absorbable sutures are made of Catgut, Polydioxanone, Polyglycolic Acid, Polyglyactin 910, Poliglecaprone 25 or Repaid Polyglycolic Acid. The non-absorbable materials offered are Silk, Nylon, Polyester and Polypropylene.

The most common absorbable specification is Chromic Catgut, and the most common non-absorbable specification is Silk.