45cm/60cm/90cm Absorbable Surgical Sutures

Surgical Sutures: Materials, Needle Sizes, and Thread Length
Surgical sutures are medical devices used to hold body tissues together after an injury or surgery. They consist of a needle and a thread (suture material).

1. Suture Materials (Thread Types)
Suture materials are classified based on absorbability, origin, and structure.
A. Absorbable vs. Non-Absorbable Sutures
Type: Absorbable (Dissolves in the body) / Non-Absorbable (Requires removal)
Examples:
Catgut (rarely used) / Silk
Polyglycolic acid (PGA, Dexon) / Nylon (Ethilon, Prolene)
Polylactic acid (Vicryl) / Polypropylene (Prolene)
Polydioxanone (PDS II) / Polyester (Ethibond)
Uses: Internal tissues, mucosal layers / Skin closure, vascular surgery
Absorption Time: 10 days (Catgut) – 6 months (PDS) / Remains until manually removed

B. Natural vs. Synthetic Sutures
Natural / Synthetic
Catgut (collagen) / Polyglycolic acid (PGA)
Silk / Polylactic acid (PLA, Vicryl)
Cotton / Polypropylene (Prolene)

C. Monofilament vs. Multifilament (Braided)
Monofilament (Single strand) / Multifilament (Braided)
Less tissue drag, lower infection risk / Better knot security
Nylon, Prolene, PDS / Silk, Vicryl, Ethibond

2. Needle Types & Sizes
Surgical needles vary in shape, size, and point type.
A. Needle Shapes
Shape / Uses
Straight / Skin closure (easier handling)
Curved (3/8, 1/2, 5/8 circle) / Deep tissues, vascular surgery
J-shaped / Laparoscopic procedures

B. Needle Points
Point Type / Uses
Tapered (Round) / Delicate tissues (intestine, blood vessels)
Cutting (Triangular edge) / Tough tissues (skin, fascia)
Reverse Cutting / Less tissue trauma (ophthalmology, plastic surgery)

C. Needle Sizes
Needle size is denoted by metric (mm) or USP (numbers).
USP Size / Needle Length (mm) / Common Uses
3-0 to 6-0 / 13–25 mm / Skin closure, fine suturing
1-0 to 2-0 / 30–40 mm / Fascia, muscle layers
7-0 to 10-0 / 4–10 mm / Microsurgery (ophthalmic, vascular)

3. Suture Thread Length
The length of the suture thread varies based on the procedure:
Standard length: 45 cm, 60 cm, 90 cm
Long sutures: 150 cm (for continuous running sutures)
Very short: 15–20 cm (microsurgery, delicate work)

4. Common Suture Selection by Tissue Type
Tissue Type / Recommended Suture
Skin / Nylon (non-absorbable), Vicryl Rapide (absorbable)
Fascia / PDS II, Prolene
Muscle / Vicryl, Chromic Catgut
Blood Vessels / Polypropylene (Prolene)
Intestine / Vicryl, PDS (absorbable)
Ophthalmic / 10-0 Nylon (microsutures)

Absorbable sutures (Vicryl, PDS) are used for deep tissues.
Non-absorbable sutures (Prolene, Silk) are for skin or structures requiring long-term support.
Needle size and shape depend on tissue type (cutting for skin, tapered for vessels).
Thread length varies by procedure (shorter for precision, longer for running sutures).