Journal of Long-Term Effects of Medical Implants

ISSN for PRINT: 1050-6934

For Online Access

Best Paper Award Selection - Editorial Board Site

2003, Volume13

Issue 3

128 pages

DOI: 10.1615/JLongTermEffMedImplants.v13.i3

Issue price - $175.00

Robin R. Szarmach, CST, CFA
Consorta, Catholic Resource Partners, 3701 Algonquin Road, Suite 550, Rolling Meadows, IL 60008

Jean Livingston, RN, PhD
Consorta, Inc., Catholic Resource Partners, Rolling Meadows, Illinois

Richard F. Edlich
Distinguished Professor of Plastic Surgery, Director of Trauma Prevention, Education, and Research, Trauma Specialists, LLP, Legacy Emanuel Hospital; 22500 NE 128th Circle, Brush Prairie WA 98606, USA; Phone: 360-944-7641, Fax: 360-944-7612

The purpose of this report is to describe an expanded suture and needle clinical evaluation program jointly designed by hospital representatives of Consorta, Inc. (Rolling Meadows, Illinois), a leading healthcare resource management and group purchasing organization, and United States Surgical/Davis & Geck Sutures (Division of United States Surgical, Norwalk, Connecticut). In this expanded evaluation program, 42 Consorta shareholder hospitals enrolled 1913 surgeons to participate in Phase II of this non-experimental observational study of the clinical performance of surgical needles and sutures. Performance characteristics of the sutures and needles produced by USS/DG that were evaluated in 25,545 surgical procedures included packaging/ease of opening, needle strength and sharpness, tissue drag, knot security, tensile strength, clinically acceptable determinations, and clinically unacceptable determinations.
In these 30-day studies, the surgeons found that the needles and sutures were clinically acceptable in 98.1% of the evaluations. The general, cardiothoracic, and orthopedic surgeons who performed 61.2% of the product evaluations reported that the suture and needle products were clinically acceptable in 98.2% of the evaluations. Nearly half (49.2%) of the evaluations involved the POLYSORB* braided synthetic sutures that received a clinically acceptable rating in 98.2% of the evaluation. The silk suture (SOFSILK*), followed by the monofilament nylon suture (MONOSOF*), were the next most frequently used sutures. The SOFSILK* was found to be clinically acceptable in 99.2% of the evaluations, while MONOSOF* was noted to be clinically acceptable in 98.7% of the evaluations. Surgical needles made by USS/DG Sutures also had a high rating of clinical acceptability (97.9%).

DOI: 10.1615/JLongTermEffMedImplants.v13.i3.30 Download article, 16 pages

Article price - $35.00

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