Whether a surgery is done to heal an injury or replace a body part, incisions are done to carry out the medical procedures. Once the surgery completes, these incisions are closed to prevent bleeding and contamination. Surgical sutures are used for this purpose. They are standard medical devices with two components: needles and surgical threads. The suture needle allows the doctor to place sutures within the body tissues.
They are strong and flexible. The suture thread holds body tissues together post-surgery, facilitating healing. The terms sutures and stitches are used interchangeably. However, they are not the same. Stitches is merely a technique to close the wound with sutures. Sutures are of two types: absorbable and non-absorbable sutures. The absorbable sutures are absorbed by body enzymes. They need not be removed post-operation as they get dissolved with time.
Non-absorbable sutures do not get absorbed and need to be removed after the surgery. Recently, absorbable sutures have become extremely popular. Here is what you should know about them:
Absorbable sutures are classified as Catgut, Polydioxanone, Poliglecaprone, and Polyglactin sutures. These differ based on the structure and material it is made of. Depending upon the wound and the requirement of the medical surgery, the doctor picks a suitable suture for you.
Usage of absorbable sutures
Following are the surgeries where absorbable sutures are widely used:
- To repair vaginal and perineal tearing during section C operation.
- For oral surgeries like tooth extraction and gum injuries.
- When dealing with delicate skin grafts.
- For surgeries involving the repair of muscles and connective tissues.
- A few abdominal surgeries.
Given that absorbable sutures need not be removed after the surgery, the doctor does not cut open the wound again. This is ideal for healing wounds that are difficult to reach. The surgical area becomes vulnerable and can be exposed to contamination due to opening and dressing the wound again. Absorbable sutures avoid this and give the wound enough time to heal.
Absorbable sutures are more flexible than non-absorbable ones. Taking advantage of this, doctors can suture the wound in a better shape. This works well to heal the jagged wound and spongy surgical sites.
The dissolving time of absorbable sutures depends on the material. The doctor picks suitable suture material after examining the wound and its location. For example, in the C section, the doctor uses sutures of material that dissolve within a few weeks. When closing incisions of joints, they may opt for suture materials that dissolve in some months.
Taking proper care of your stitches during the healing period is necessary. Remember, these sutures are dissolvable, not unbreakable. Follow the care instructions given by the doctor. If the stitches open up, rush to the hospital immediately.
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