Wound Healing, Sutures, Needles, and Stapling Devices

Abnormal attachment of two surfaces or structures that are normally separate

Pathological, surgical, or traumatic formation of an opening between two normally separate organs or spaces

Returned to proximity; brought together sides or edges

A suture material manufactured from the submucosa of sheep intestine or serosa of beef intestine treated with chromium salts to delay the rate of absorption

Wound that persists for an extended period of time

Scar

A space that remains in the tissues as a result of failure of proper closure of a surgical wound

Removal of devitalized tissue and contaminants

Partial or total separation of a layer or layers of tissue after closure of the wound

Interruption of a closed wound or traumatic injury that exposes the viscera

Type of healing that occurs with primary union that is typical of an incision opened under ideal conditions; healing occurs from side to side, dead space has been eliminated, and the wound edges are accurately approximated

A type of needle in which the suture must be threaded by pulling the strand into a V-shaped area just above the eye

Easily torn or crumbled

Abnormal protrusion of an organ or other body structure through an opening in a covering membrane or muscle

Patient whose immune system has decreased due to disease, or intentionally decreased with immunosuppressive drugs for organ transplant patients to prevent organ rejection

The body’s protective response to injury or tissue destruction

Cut or tear

The placement of a suture tie around a vessel or other anatomical structure for the purpose of constriction (i.e., to control hemorrhage from a blood vessel)

Suture that is manufactured from one strand of natural or synthetic material

Sterile fine-mesh gauze that is loosely placed in a chronic wound or one that has been left open to heal by second intention

A synthetic coating used on certain types of nylon suture material to reduce the drag through tissue

Main suture that approximates the wound edges for first intention healing to occur

Healing that occurs when a wound fails to heal by primary union, or the wound is left open and allowed to heal from the inside to the outside by filling with granulation tissue

Sutures placed to support and ease the tension on the primary suture line, thus reinforcing the wound closure and obliterating any dead spaces

Strand of suture material with an eyeless needle attached by the manufacturer; the needle is continuous with the suture strand

Amount of pull or tension that a suture strand will withstand before breaking; expressed in pounds

Healing that occurs when two granulated surfaces are approximated; also referred to as delayed primary closure

Thin strips made of silicone that can be placed around a vessel, nerve, or duct for the purposes of retracting or isolating; the loops are colored for easy identification of the retracted structures