Suturing is a common procedure performed in the ED, but we too often forget about the nuances of different suture materials. We get set in our practice patterns. This changed when our ED got the fast-absorbing gut suture for surface wounds, especially for pediatric patients. This makes a return visit for suture removal unnecessary because they quickly become absorbed over time. Increasingly, I have observed plastics surgeons using these for surface wound closure of the face and hands.
Has anyone else used absorbable sutures on the skin for wound closure?
With this new suture material in my armamentarium, I thought it’d be helpful to review suture types and suture removal times for non-absorbable sutures.
PV Card: Suture Materials
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Author information
ALiEM Founder and CEO
Professor and Digital Innovation Lab Director
Department of Emergency Medicine
University of California, San Francisco
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