Commonly used suture materials in skin surgery.

The ideal suture is strong, handles easily and forms secure knots. It causes minimal tissue inflammation and does not promote infection. It stretches, accommodates wound edema and recoils to its original length with wound contraction. Ideally, it is also inexpensive. Although no single suture material possesses all of these features, proper selection of sutures helps achieve better results in skin surgery. Among the absorbable sutures are catgut and treated catgut (both are used infrequently) and the synthetic sutures, which are designed for good tensile strength, easy handling and low tissue reactivity. Nonabsorbable sutures include silk (now infrequently used) and several synthetic materials designed for elasticity, easy handling, good knot security and minimal tissue irritation.