Where To Buy Suture Kits

1. A Brief History of Suturing Stitching flesh together is an art that stretches into antiquities. The first reports of the use of sutures dates to ancient Egypt…roughly 3000 B.C. Around 500 B.C., the Indian physician Susruta described his technique for suturing a wound along with how to develop various materials needed for the work. Hippocrates and even the Roman physician Galen left detailed records of the use of stitches. When one thinks about it though, the development of stitches, or sutures and suturing techniques in early human history makes perfect sense. Wars were fought up close, with sharp weapons, and frequently. Military physicians were the first to begin using various materials to close wounds. Without a doubt, the first suture practice kit or suture training kits were developed by ancient army doctors. As for exactly who, well sadly, that name is lost to history. Certainly, the first to stich someone together was likely Egyptian, but no one can say for sure. One mummy dating to 1100 B.C. has sutures, but ancient writings place their development much earlier. For the better part of history, the materials used to suture wounds included flax, hemp, cotton, hair, tendons, arteries, strips of muscle, silk, and catgut (sheep intestines). The needles were generally made from copper, silver, or bronze. In fact, the only major developments in thousands of years of suturing occurred less than 150 years ago. Joseph Lister determined that suture threads should be sterilized prior to use and developed a method for doing so by the late 1860s. Although his technique did not achieve the desired results, it did start a sound and wise trend in the medical profession – sterilization of any equipment which contacts a patient. The only other major step in suturing came along in the 1930s after chemists developed synthetic tread. Synthetic threat rapidly grew in demand and with the demand came a variety of types, many of which were medical in nature. By the 1970s, synthetic polymer fibers became the mainstay of the surgical industry. Silk sutures continue in use, but through much of the industrial world, catgut and other natural materials are no longer acceptable. As for techniques, these have largely remained the same for thousands of years, with but minor adjustments owing the materials used. Where to Buy Suture Kits