Vicryl (Polyglactin 910): a new synthetic absorbable suture in ophthalmic surgery. A preliminary study.

The main function of a suture is to hold the wound edges in apposition until healing is sufficiently advanced for the wound to be self-supporting. In practice, as an absorbable material is losing tensile strength, the wound is gaining strength and at a particular time, which varies according to the tissue involved, equilibrium will be reached. Ophthalmic surgery presents the ideal situation where sutures implanted during operative procedures can be readily observed with regard to their tissue reactivity, biological acceptability, and loss of tensile strength. Characteristics ofknotting, tissue drag, and knot strength can also be assessed. A clinical trial of VICRYL Synthetic Absorbable Sutures made by Ethicon was set up in three clinical centres: 27 cataract extractions and thirty squint operations were done to determine the safety and efficacy of this material.