Transcript discussion - Doctors Demystify

discussion
These are simple, interrupted nylon stitches.
Simple means that the needle passes down through the skin on one side and up
on the other side.
Interrupted means that after each down and up, a knot get tied. By contrast, a
running (aka continuous) suture would have a knot at each end and a long run of
downs and ups, similar to a hem in clothing.
The suture material is nylon, which is the commonly used material for suturing
skin. It is cheap, easily handled and tied, resistant to infection, and reasonably
strong.
Silk and stainless steel sutures were used more often before the development of
nylon. Silk handles well and ties a very secure knot. Because it is made of many
fibers, its use risks infection because bacteria can hide among the fibers.
Stainless steel is difficult to handle and tie, but it is awesomely strong.