Suturing techniques of surgeons utilizing two different needle-holder grips.

Sixteen surgeons familiar with grip 1 or grip 2 were randomly selected to test the accuracy of their suture method. The accuracy was tested in two ways: suture with and suture without wavering, while searching for an expected exit point after suturing started and by the distance deviated from a point in a 2 cm suture stride. With grip 1, the first and fourth fingers were put in the rings and the second finger was put around the leg of the holder, whereas with grip 2, all the fingers were put around the holder. Without waver, the mean value was 2 +/- 1.5 mm with grip 1 and 1.4 +/- 1.1 mm with grip 2 (p less than 0.01) and with waver, 1.2 +/- 1.1 mm and 1.1 +/- 10.9 mm (p value not significant). Wavering reduced the deviation (p less than 0.01 and p less than 0.05, respectively). In conclusion, the accuracy was not as precise as the surgeon expected and grip 2 was more accurate, although equivalent accuracy was gained by more wavering with grip 1, thus, there was a greater potential for injuring the tissue.