Choice of surgical suture material used in oral cavity: Clinical study

Abstract

Introduction. Historical data on closing and suturing of surgical wounds describe a wide range of various suture materials. The choice of the surgical catgut, i.e. type and diameter, depends on the localization, characteristics and condition of the tissue to be treated. From the stand-point of oral-surgical practice the following clinical parameters are of the outstanding importance regarding the choice of suture material: accumulation of soft deposits on the sutures, decubitus of the adjacent soft tissues and dehiscence of the operative wound. Aim. The aim of this research was to determine the correlation between different types of suture materials and accumulation of soft deposits on the sutures, decubitus of the adjacent soft tissues and dehiscence of the operative wound. Material and methods. Our prospective clinical study included 150 patients distributed into three groups of 50 subjects. The surgical procedure performed on each patient involved resection (apicoectomy) of the tooth root end in the intercanine sector of the upper jaw. The following suture materials were applied: BLACK SILK 5-0, NYLON 5-0 and VICRYL 5-0. The effects of the selected sutures were evaluated by using several parameters: accumulation of soft deposits, wound dehiscence and decubitus of the adjacent soft tissues. The effects of the applied sutures were recorded on days 2, 5 and 7 after the surgery. Conclusion. The comparison of cited parameters of the investigated materials after suture of oral cavity mucosa revealed that none of the used material was ideal; however, a certain preference might be given to the synthetic monofilament suture materials.