Surgical Gut suture is an absorbable sterile surgical suture composed of purified connective tissue (mostly collagen) derived from the serosal layer of beef (bovine) intestines.
The chromic gut contains a chromic salt solution to delay absorption. Surgical gut suture meets all requirements established by the United States Pharmacopeia (U.S.P.) for absorbable surgical sutures.
When Surgical Gut Suture is placed in tissue, a moderate tissue inflammation occurs characteristic of foreign body response to a substance. This is followed by a loss of tensile strength and suture mass, as the proteolytic enzymatic digestive process dissolves the surgical gut. This process continues until the suture is completely absorbed. Many variable factors may affect the rate of absorption. Some of the major factors which can affect tensile strength loss and absorption rates are:
1. PLAIN gut generally absorbs more rapidly than CHROMIC gut. Plain gut is 100 percent absorbed in 30 to 60 days. Chromic gut is 100 percent absorbed in 60 to 90 days.
2. Infection – Surgical gut is absorbed more rapidly in infected tissue than in non-infected tissue.
