Sutures or stiches are one of the most commonly used medical consumable in surgery for repairing cuts and closing incisions. They are surgical threads used to hold skin, internal organs and blood vessels that are severed by either injury, surgery or incision. They can be used to hold all the tissues of the body together and that’s why surgeons use them. They are one of the most well-known methods of wound closure.

When
do we use sutures?
We know sutures are used for wound closure but most of us may not be aware of their other uses. They are needed in cases the skin has a tear or a big opening following an injury or surgery. Sutures are needed or used in many cases, including -
- To repair skin tissue
- To restore the normal function of the injured skin or body part
- To help in proper skin healing
- To reduce the bleeding from cuts or wounds
- To reduce the risks or chances of bacterial contamination
- To achieve skin hemostasis
- To get good cosmetic results
Features of sutures
Sutures are used by surgeons and medical professionals for their strength and ability to hold the skin and tissues together and help in healing or wound closure. Apart from these aspects, sutures also come with a variety of other features that add value to surgeries.
- They are strong in nature and don’t break
- They are non-toxic and don’t pose any risks to the body
- Being hypoallergenic means they reduce chances of any reactions in the body
- Sutures are flexible and they are easy to tie and knot
- They don’t allow fluids to go inside the body and thus avoiding any infections
- They are of two types - absorbable and non-absorbable
- The absorbable types are made to break down in tissues after a specific period of time
- Absorbable sutures will degrade as a wound or incision heals
- No medical help in needed with absorbable sutures while the non-absorbable needs removal by a surgeon
- They are made to use for any skin, even sensitive skin or parts of the body
- There are different types of sutures online available and only the nature of the wound will decide their use
- They are made either using naturally occurring materials or synthetic materials such as silk, cotton, nylon, steel etc.