Background: Recent interest in translumenal approaches to conventional surgical procedures such as NOTES has reintroduced the question of what is the ideal suture material for visceral closure of enterotomy sites. With necessity of secure closure from transgastric approaches, a study was designed to test the hypothesis that there would be variable longevity of suture ligature in an acidic versus neutral pH environment.
Methods: Twelve different types of 2-0 caliber suture were studied. Square knots of each suture material were secured on gauze pads then divided into two experimental groups (n=5): Phosphate Buffered Saline (PBS), pH 7.4, versus 0.1N Hydrochloric acid, pH 2.0. Samples were incubated at 37°C for 12 weeks with media changes and visual assessment of knot integrity three times per week. Longevity of suture ligature are reported as means ± standard deviation (days). Suture with equal integrity ranks indicate no difference in longevity at a significance level of p
Session: Poster
Program Number: P194