(466c) Suture Technology – a Partial Review of the Most Ubiquitous Wound Closure Modality

Sutures continue to be one of the most widely used wound closure biomaterials in all major fields of surgery. As such, they have the ability to significantly impact the immediate medical outcome as well as the long term quality of life outcome for all those who undergo surgical procedures. In the present review, we will introduce the basic elements that make up this ubiquitous medical device focusing on Ethicon’s absorbable suture portfolio. Additionally, the importance of sutures in the mitigation of surgical site infection (SSI) will also be discussed with a specific look at the Triclosan-based Plus technology. The presentation will conclude with a forward looking statement on sutures as potential platforms for smart integrated medicine.