Clinical experience with polydioxanone monofilament absorbable sutures in plastic surgery.

Various sizes of undyed monofilament polydioxanone surgical suture were assessed in 52 surgical patients who underwent plastic surgery. With a single exception, follow-up observations were carried out for at least 40 days. Clinical results were judged satisfactory in 13 patients and excellent in 39 patients. The suture was found significantly better than gut in terms of pliability, ease of passage through tissue, ease of tying, strength, fray resistance, and overall handling properties. The undyed suture material tested in this study was rated as having inferior visibility when compared with surgical gut. This new suture material, the first synthetic absorbable available as a monofilament, would appear to be particularly useful in situations requiring extended wound support, in potentially infected wounds in which a monofilament suture would have lessened tendency to harbor pathogenic bacteria, and in cases where ease of passage through tissue, smooth tie-down, and precise knot placement are important.