Know Your Suture
This natural absorbable suture is derived from purified collagen
What is surgical gut?
Vicryl belongs to this suture classification.
What is absorbable?
This portion of a surgical needle contains the suture material
What is the swage?
A suture made from one continuous strand is called this.
What is monofilament?
The surgeon is closing skin and requests a nonabsorbable monofilament suture. What could the CST anticipate?
What is nylon or polypropylene?
This synthetic absorbable braided suture is commonly recognized by the brand name Vicryl.
What is polyglactin 910?
Nylon belongs to this suture classification.
What is nonabsorbable?
This needle is designed to separate rather than cut tissue and is commonly used for soft, easily penetrated tissue.
What is a taper needle?
A suture composed of multiple strands twisted or braided together is called this.
What is multifilament?
The surgeon is closing delicate bowel tissue. What general needle type should the CST anticipate?
What is a taper needle?
This synthetic nonabsorbable monofilament suture is commonly known as Prolene.
What is polypropylene
Absorbable synthetic sutures are primarily broken down by this process.
What is hydrolysis?
This needle has cutting edges and is commonly used for tough tissue such as skin.
What is a cutting needle?
This property describes a suture's ability to resist breaking when placed under tension.
What is tensile strength?
The surgeon is closing skin and needs a needle capable of penetrating tough tissue. What needle should the CST anticipate?
What is a cutting or reverse-cutting needle?
This synthetic absorbable monofilament suture is commonly known as PDS.
What is polydioxanone?
Natural absorbable sutures such as surgical gut are primarily broken down through this process.
What is enzymatic digestion/proteolysis?
On this type of needle, the cutting edge is located on the outer convex curve, reducing the likelihood of cutting through the wound edge.
What is a reverse-cutting needle?
This term describes the ability of a suture to return to its original shape after being stretched.
What is elasticity?
The surgeon requests “2-0 Vicryl.” What characteristics should the CST recognize?
What is a synthetic, absorbable, braided suture?
This natural nonabsorbable multifilament suture has excellent handling but can produce more tissue reaction than synthetic materials.
What is silk?
Which synthetic absorbable suture retains its tensile strength longer than Vicryl and is commonly selected when prolonged wound support is needed?
What is polydioxanone (PDS)?
The three basic components of a surgical needle are these.
What are the point, body, and eye/swage?
Multifilament sutures have greater potential than monofilament sutures to harbor microorganisms because of this phenomenon between their strands.
What is capillarity?
The surgeon requests a synthetic, nonabsorbable, monofilament suture for vascular anastomosis. Which commonly used suture should the CST anticipate?
What is polypropylene (Prolene)?