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R. W. POSTLETHWAIT, M.D.; M. L. DILLON, M.D.; J. W. REEVES, M.D.

AMA Arch Surg. 1962;84(6):698-702.

	Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text PDF and any section headings.

The characteristics of silk as a surgical suture have been known for many years and need not be reviewed extensively, as excellent summaries are available.^1-4 Silk granuloma and extrusion have been attributed to simple foreign-body reaction, excessively large sutures, infection, allergy, or the dye or coating on the suture.⁵ Recently Bahnson, Spencer and Bennett⁶ described persistent staphylococcal infection about silk sutures used in 5 operations on the heart and great vessels. A second major procedure was necessary to remove the infected silk, after which the patients promptly recovered. Disturbing reports such as this stimulate the continued search for a better surgical suture.

Several of the new synthetic suture materials have been found to incite less tissue reaction than silk, and Teflon has been noted to be especially innocuous.^7-9 Although the degree of tissue reaction is certainly not the underlying cause of all suture complications, these would . . . [Full Text PDF of this Article]

Author Affiliations
DURHAM, N.C.

From the Department of Surgery, the Veterans Administration Hospital, and the Duke University Medical Center.

Footnotes
Received for publication Aug. 23, 1961.

Supported by Grant No. RG 4656 (C3) from the Division of Research Grants and Fellowships, National Institutes of Health, U.S. Public Health Service, and by J. A. Deknatel & Son, Inc., New York.

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