# What are my sutures made from?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-my-sutures-made-from/186576>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [July 6, 2003, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-my-sutures-made-from/186576 "2003-07-06T15:23:09Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![rsa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/839c29/32.png) [@rsa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rsa)\
**Post date:** [July 6, 2003, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-my-sutures-made-from/186576/1 "2003-07-06T15:23:09Z")

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I had minor in office surgery almost a week ago to remove a cyst like thing (ranula actually) from my lower lip. After the surgery the doc sewed up the incision with a dissolvable suture. It looked like a very fine metal wire, but I guess it can’t really be metal because it wouldn’t dissolve unless it just rusted away!

From searching I gather it must have been some kind of monofilament plastic. So my question is what kind of plastic looks so much line a fine metal thread. Or is there actually some kind of metal suture that would dissolve eventually? And as an aside, how long before it does dissolve (it’s still there a week later)?

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**Author:** ![rsa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/839c29/32.png) [@rsa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rsa)\
**Post date:** [July 6, 2003, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-my-sutures-made-from/186576/2 "2003-07-06T16:17:11Z")

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“looks so much **line** ” = “looks so much **like** ”

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**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\
**Post date:** [July 6, 2003, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-my-sutures-made-from/186576/3 "2003-07-06T16:56:58Z")

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Clipped from [http://www.gramsmed.com/gp.htm](http://www.gramsmed.com/gp.htm)

> [@](#):
>
> Surgical gut suture (Plain and Chromic) is an absorbable sterile surgical suture composed of purified connective tissue (mostly collagen) derived from either the serosal layer of beef (bovine) or the submucosal fibrous layer of sheep (ovine) intestines. The chromic gut contains a chromic salt solution to delay absorption.

And, there are absorbable synthetics:

> [@](#):
>
> Gramsorb™ is a synthetic absorbable sterile surgical suture composed of homopolymers of glycolide (100%). Gramsorb™ is undyed or dyed violet with D&C violet #2 and coated.

No specs on how quickly the gut is absorbed, but the Gramsorb stuff is listed as taking 60-90 days.