Medical sutures are special medical threads used in surgery for ligation and suturing to stop bleeding and for tissue repair. They are divided into absorbable sutures and non-absorbable sutures.
Non-absorbable sutures are sutures that cannot be absorbed by tissue, so they need to be removed after suturing. They can cause varying degrees of tissue reaction, and suturing the epidermis can easily leave scars. They are made of special silk or synthetic fibers such as polypropylene, polyester, or nylon. The specific suture removal time varies depending on the suture site, wound, and patient's condition. When the wound is healing well without infection or other abnormalities: 4-5 days for the face and neck; 6-7 days for the lower abdomen and perineum; 7-9 days for the chest, upper abdomen, back, and buttocks; 10-12 days for the limbs. Sutures near joints can be removed after 14 days. For special cases such as malnutrition or high incision tension, the suture removal time may be appropriately extended. The suture removal time can be shortened for adolescents, while it can be delayed for the elderly, diabetic patients, and those with chronic diseases. For patients with obvious signs of infection such as redness, swelling, heat, and pain after surgery, sutures should be removed earlier.
Absorbable sutures are used for tissues that heal quickly, especially in areas where foreign bodies should not remain, such as the gastrointestinal tract, bile ducts, lining of the urinary tract, and myometrium.
Non-absorbable sutures are used for tissues that heal slowly, such as cartilage, ligaments, tendons, bronchi, esophagus, and grafts requiring long-term fixation.
Monolithic sutures are used in vascular surgery and plastic surgery.
For certain patients, such as the elderly, diabetic patients, obese patients, malnourished patients, and frail patients, the impact of sutures on the speed and process of postoperative wound healing should be considered when selecting sutures. Sutures with similar resilience to the original tissue and minimal tissue reaction should be selected.
