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Chapter 32 - Understanding Sutures and Skin Closure

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  18 August 2022

By
Steve Moutrey  and
Paul Bond
Edited by
Daniel Rodger ,
Kevin Henshaw ,
Paul Rawling  and
Scott Miller
Daniel Rodger
Affiliation:
Senior Lecturer in Perioperative Practice, London South Bank University
Kevin Henshaw
Affiliation:
Associate Head of Allied Health Professions, Edge Hill University, Ormskirk
Paul Rawling
Affiliation:
Senior Lecturer in Perioperative Practice, Edge Hill University, Ormskirk
Scott Miller
Affiliation:
Consultant Anaesthetist, St Helens and Knowsley Hospitals NHS Trust
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Summary

This chapter explores the different kinds of sutures available, as well as some additional methods of skin closure. Surgical sutures are a medical device used to hold body tissue together following injury or surgery. There is evidence of suture use going back thousands of years. The application of a suture generally involves using a needle with an attached length of suture thread. Suture thread can be made from numerous materials. The original sutures were made from biological materials, such as catgut, cotton, and silk. Today, most sutures are made of synthetic polymer fibers, with silk being the only biological material still in use.

Keywords

SutureInfectionNeedleSurgeryAbsorbableNon-absorbableTissueSkinGlueStaples
Type
Chapter
Information
Fundamentals of Operating Department Practice , pp. 356 - 364
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2022

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References

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National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. Plus sutures for preventing surgical site infection. Available from: www.nice.org.uk/guidance/mtg59/resources/plus-sutures-for-preventing-surgical-site-infection-pdf-64372124642245.Google Scholar
Kochar, M. P. and Singh, S. P.. Incised surgical wound closure with sutures and staples: a controlled experimental study. International Surgery Journal 2015; 2: 69–372.Google Scholar
Smith, E. I., DiSegna, S. T., Shukla, P. Y., and Matzkin, E. G.. Barbed versus traditional sutures: closure time, cost, and wound related outcomes in total joint arthroplasty. Journal of Arthroplasty 2014; 29: 283–287Google Scholar
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Thomas, B., Bruns, M., and Worthington, J.. Using tissue adhesive for wound repair: a practical guide to dermabond. American Family Physician 2000; 61: 1383–1388.Google Scholar

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