Types of surgical sutures

Absorbable sutures gradually break down in the body and are useful where later removal would be difficult or where temporary support is enough. Non-absorbable sutures remain until a clinician removes them, or may stay in selected internal repairs. Monofilament thread has a single strand, while braided thread has several strands and handles differently.

The surgeon matches the suture to the tissue, depth, movement, moisture, and need for support. Some repairs use more than one type: deeper layers may be closed separately from the skin. The thread's colour, knot, and visibility do not alone reveal whether it is absorbable.

Keep the repair clean and follow the instructions about dressings, bathing, exercise, and movement. Wash your hands before touching it, and avoid picking at knots or pulling a loose end. Attend review even when the wound looks comfortable, because the clinician checks alignment and healing.

Do not apply products unless advised. If a suture irritates the skin, bends, or catches on clothing, cover it as instructed and contact the treating team rather than cutting it yourself.

Arrange prompt review for increasing redness, warmth, swelling, tenderness, pus, wound separation, or fever. A small amount of expected discomfort can change, so worsening symptoms deserve attention rather than being dismissed as normal healing.

Seek urgent care for uncontrolled bleeding, rapidly increasing swelling, severe pain, loss of movement or sensation, or a wound that opens deeply. Wound Suturing information may help explain the repair, but it does not replace an examination.

Ask whether your sutures are absorbable, when they should be reviewed, which activities to avoid, and what changes should prompt a call. You can also ask for the Surgical Sutures material information and whether the closure has separate deeper and surface layers.