Design and Selection of Surgical Suturing Materials

Abstract

Suture is one of the basic surgical skills. The needle and suture are equally important as basic materials. Surgical sutures retain in the tissues for varying lengths of time, while needles pass through the tissues for only a few seconds. If needles are not ideal, it is difficult for the suture to play its role well. Whether the needle is stable on the needle holder and the size of the wound caused by the needle both influence the suture effect. Hence suture needles are quite important especially for delicate surgeries. Under the premise of ensuring strength, the needle should be as thin and sharp as possible and can be firmly held by the needle holder. The suture needle guided through the tissue under minimum resistance causes minimum damage. The rigidity and flexibility of the needle should be well matched and can resist both bending and breakage. It should also be easy to be disinfected, resist corrosion, and effectively prevent microorganisms or foreign bodies from entering the wound. Suture needles with corresponding shape and diameter can be designed and manufactured according to the suture diameter and different surgical procedures. The sutures are used for suturing tissues and ligating blood vessels, which should have certain tension, easy knotting, minor tissue reaction, no toxicity, no sensitization, no carcinogenicity, and easy sterilization and preservation. The sutures are divided into absorbable sutures and non-absorbable sutures. New suture materials can meet different surgical needs.