Surgical sutures are an essential part of medicine and wound healing. As their name suggests, they are used during a surgical procedure, even if it is minor.
They allow to approximate the tissues to promote healing. They help wound edges and blood vessels heal faster and with fewer complications.
Today there are many types of sutures. Each of them has a commercial name and most also a name in relation to the material with which the elements used are made. In this article we explain everything you need to know about them.
What are the characteristics of surgical sutures?
Surgical sutures are elements that differ greatly from each other. Each of the types fulfills a series of characteristics that allow them to be more or less suitable depending on the fabric to be treated.
One of the most relevant characteristics is the thickness of the thread. Refers to the diameter of the material. It is measured by a system of zeros in which the one with the most zeros is the one with the smallest diameter. That is, the finest.
It is necessary to differentiate the thickness of the resistance. A greater thickness does not always imply greater strength in surgical sutures. According to an article in the Electronic Journal of Medical Portals, resistance is the tension that each suture can withstand.
This aspect is related, in turn, to the resistance of the sutured tissue itself. If a very strong one is used on fragile tissue, it may be injured and healing may not be achieved.
Surgical sutures are also differentiated based on their flexibility and elasticity. Flexibility refers to the stiffness of the material; the more flexible it is, the easier it is to tie the knots. Elasticity, for its part, is the elongation capacity of the thread.
Other important aspects
Surgical sutures can also vary in their tension. It is the force that must be exerted to break the thread. For this reason, the tissue to be intervened also has an influence.
In addition, it is important that all of them are well packaged, sterile and intact. Likewise, each box of sutures has an expiration date. This is because the materials that compose them can deteriorate and lose quality.
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