Everyday surgery confirms the great tensile strength of synthetic absorbable sutures. However, very rarely, and in particular cases, they may break when being handled. What can be done to avoid this phenomenon?

By order of their chemical structure (polymers, the synthetic absorbable threads are sensitive to different factors which can provoke or, in each case, accelerate the process of degradation in vitro. In fact, braided multi-filaments as well as monofilaments can depolymerise (hydrolysis).

As opposed to cold and even frost, heat and humidity and especially a combination of them can affect their stability. This is why good quality packaging is indispensable to assure a good conservation. In other words, once a cassette has been opened, the quality can change in time.

In any case, these ligatures are normally very solid. In order to reduce the chance of an alteration of your sutures, it is recommended to avoid:

• Prolonged exposition to excessive heat (superior to 25-30° c)
• Contact with humidity
• A combination of both these elements

A reasonable use-by date should be respected, once the cassette opened, of around 100 days in good conditions.

We strongly advise you to, having opened the packages, to conserve these products in a cool, dry place:

• In summertime, be aware of extreme temperatures in the car’s boot
• In each season, do not put them in a humid and/or non ventilated place or in your surgery case
• When washing dirty cassettes, do not soak them in water

During the summer months, when surgery is less called for, maybe prefer the use of  small packaging
of 2,5 or 5 meters.