Veterinary sutures handbook

This edition of the Veterinary suture handbook expands the contents of the previous edition with updated and more practical information. It includes basic aspects such as the different types of sutures, their characteristics and those of the instruments used, and the latest and most innovative materials. It also provides detailed descriptions of their use and advice on how to apply them to ensure the best results. In addition, the authors give greater relevance to the suturing of the different organs according to their characteristics and to new techniques, and a whole chapter is dedicated to eye surgery.

1. Sutures
 Definition
 Classification of suture materials
  Origin
  Behaviour
  Structure
 Advantages and disadvantages of each suture material
2. Basic suture instruments
 Needle holders
  Types of needle holder
 Dissecting forceps
  Types of forceps
  Types of scissors
3. Suture threads
 Characteristics
  Mechanical properties
  Biological properties
 Description of the most common suture threads
  Catgut
  Polyglycolic acid (PGA)
  Low molecular weight polyglycolic acid
  Polyglactin 910
  Low molecular weight polyglactin 910
  Polydioxanone
  Poly(trimethylene carbonate), PTMC
  Poliglecaprone 25
  Glyconate
  Surgical stainless steel
  Silk
  Linen
  Nylon
  Polyester fibre sutures
  Polypropylene
  Polyvinylidene difluoride (PVDF)
  Expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE)
4. Surgical needles
 Key design elements for surgical needles
  Rigidity
  Ductility
  Sharpness
  Stability in the needle holder
 Surgical needle selection criteria
  Tissue type
  Surgical technique
  Needle anatomy
 Parts of the needle
  Swage
  Body
  Needle point
5. Key tips for successful sutures
6. Tissue repair
 Wound suturing
 Wound classification
  Clean wounds
  Clean–contaminated wounds
  Contaminated wounds
  Dirty or infected wounds
 Basic tips for wound closure
  Contaminated or potentially contaminated wounds
  Thread diameter selection
  In the urinary and biliary tracts
  In hernia repairs
  In wild animals
  Subcutaneous sutures
  In asymmetrical wounds or cases with tissue loss
 Vascular clips and ligatures
  Vascular clips
  Ligatures
7. Surgical knots
 The human factor in surgical knot security
 Surgical knot tying techniques
  The square knot
  The surgeon’s knot
  The deep tie
  Instrument tie
  Ligation around haemostatic clamps or vascular pedicle ligatures
8. Sutures in different tissues
 Skin
  Skin staples
  Simple stitches
  Apposition sutures
  Tension sutures
 Subcutaneous tissue
 Fascial and aponeurotic tissues
 Muscle tissues
 Gastrointestinal tract
  The stomach

  The small intestine
  The colon
  The rectum
 Blood vessels
 Nerves
 Tendons
 The urinary tract
 Parenchymal organs
 Other sutures
9. Sutures in ophthalmology
 The appendages of the eye
  The eyelids and the orbicularis oculi muscle
  The conjunctivae
 The eyeball
  The cornea and sclera
  Socket
 Adhesives in ophthalmology
  Synthetic adhesives
  Biological adhesives
10. Mechanical sutures
 Classification and description
  Circular staplers
  Linear staplers
  Linear cutter staplers
  Vascular clips
  Skin staplers
11. Sutures in laparoscopic surgery
 Manual suturing
  Instruments and handling
 Suturing procedure
  Needle handling
  Knotting
12. Tissue adhesives
 Cyanoacrylate-based tissue adhesives
  Cyanoacrylates
  Types of cyanoacrylates
  Surgical applications
  Wound closure procedure
  Clinical toxicity
 Biological adhesives or fibrin sealants
13. Regulatory control of suture characteristics
14. Sterile suture materials: manufacturing processes and current legislation
 Production process and quality control parameters
References

José María Carbonell Tatay: Dr Carbonell graduated in veterinary medicine from the University of Córdoba, Spain, in 1989. He founded the Taibaira Small Animal Veterinary Hospital in Teulada–Moraira (Alicante) in 1989 and is still the owner, manager, and currently the head of general surgery and traumatology. He is also a co-owner of the La Nao de Jávea veterinary practice in Alicante. He dedicates his time in the clinic exclusively to small animal surgery. In the field of hernia repair, Dr Carbonell has pioneered the use of surgical meshes and created the mesh–plug technique for use in animals. He has participated in seminars and courses, published articles in various national journals, and is a coauthor of Manual de suturas en veterinaria (Veterinary suture handbook) published by Editorial Servet (2007) and author of La pesca deportiva del atún rojo (Recreational tuna fishing) published by Tutor (2013). He currently focuses entirely on small animal clinical medicine, particularly on surgery.
 
Julián Rodríguez Fernández: Dr Rodríguez graduated in veterinary medicine from the University of Zaragoza, Spain, in 1994. He works as a small animal veterinary surgeon at the La Nao de Jávea, of which he is co-owner, and Ambra de Pego veterinary practices in Alicante. He concentrates most of his time on surgery and collaborates in the application of the mesh–plug surgical technique for small animal hernia repairs. He has given lectures in seminars and courses and published articles in a variety of national journals. He is the author of the book Manual de suturas en Veterinaria (Veterinary suture handbook) published by Editorial Servet (2007).
 
Contributors:

Chapter 9. Sutures in eye surgery - José Mª Molleda Carbonell, Lecturer at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine of the University of Córdoba and graduate of the Latin American College of Veterinary Ophthalmologists (CLOVE). Eva Mª Martín Suárez, Lecturer at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine of the University of Córdoba and graduate of the Latin American College of Veterinary Ophthalmologists (CLOVE).