Surgical sutures and meshes

First decision: absorbable or non-absorbable

A suture should support the tissue only until healing is complete. If the tissue regains strength within 2–3 weeks (subcutaneous tissue, mucosa), an absorbable suture is sufficient. Fascia, vascular anastomoses, the sternum, and orthopedic fixation, by contrast, require permanent or long-term support — in these cases non-absorbable sutures are preferred.

Second decision: monofilament or braided

A monofilament suture glides through tissue; compared with braided suture it carries a lower risk of bacterial contamination and provokes less tissue reaction — so in potentially contaminated fields and in skin it is preferred over braided sutures. A braided suture, in turn, offers easier handling and a more secure knot, which is why it is widely used for ligatures and in deep layers. Antibacterial (triclosan) coated variants compensate for the braided suture's drawback.

Third decision: size (USP)

The USP (United States Pharmacopeia) suture system is a standardized numerical scale used to define the diameter and gauge of surgical sutures. Created to apply uniform sizing across different materials and manufacturers, this system ranks sutures from the thickest to the finest. In the USP system, the larger the number, the thinner the suture: 2-0 is thick, while 6-0 is very fine. The rule: choose the finest suture that meets the requirement. A suture that is too thick cuts through tissue and provokes excessive foreign-body reaction; one that is too fine may break.

The table is general guidance; the final decision rests with the surgeon's clinical judgment.

Core lines in the Dolphin Sutures range

Absorbable:

Petcryl 910 — braided, coated polyglactin 910: retains tensile strength for approximately 3–4 weeks, fully absorbed in 56–70 days — a universal choice for soft-tissue closure.
Petcryl 910 Fast — irradiation-accelerated polyglactin 910: strength ~10–14 days, complete absorption ~42 days — for fast-healing tissues such as skin, mucosa, and episiotomy.
Petcryl (PGA) — braided polyglycolic acid: a reliable, cost-effective standard in general surgery with a durability profile close to polyglactin.
Petcryl Mono — monofilament poliglecaprone 25: passes through tissue with minimal friction, strength 1–2 weeks, absorption 90–120 days — ideal for subcuticular and aesthetic (intradermal) closures.
Duracryl — monofilament polydioxanone: retains half its strength for ~4–6 weeks, absorbed in 180–240 days — long-term support for slow-healing tissues such as fascia and the abdominal wall.
Duracryl Plus and Petcryl Plus — triclosan-coated versions of the same polymers: reduce bacterial colonization along the suture line and lower the risk of surgical site infection.
Mono AB — the antibacterial version of poliglecaprone 25: the pliability of a monofilament combined with triclosan protection.
Progut Chromic / Plain — natural collagen-based catgut: Plain retains strength for ~7–10 days, while Chromic, treated with chromium salts, holds for ~2–3 weeks — the traditional choice for mucosa and fast-healing tissues.

Non-absorbable:

Duracare — monofilament polypropylene: one of the most biologically durable sutures, it does not lose strength — the standard for vascular anastomoses and cardiovascular surgery.
Linex — monofilament polyamide (nylon): elastic, with a smooth surface — the classic choice for skin closure and plastic surgery.
Teflene — monofilament polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE): extremely inert and soft — used in heart valve surgery and implantology.
Procare — braided, coated polyester: permanently high tensile strength — well suited to heart valves and tendon and ligament repair.
Sutura — braided natural silk: the most comfortable suture to handle and knot — the traditional choice for ligatures and mucosa (it gradually loses strength in tissue).
Durafibr — ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene (UHMWPE): tensile strength exceeding steel — for tendon-ligament repair and arthroscopy in orthopedics.
Stainless steel (316LVM) — maximal tensile strength and high durability: the standard choice for sternal closure after open-heart surgery; also used in orthopedics for cerclage and tendon repair.

Specialty:

Durabarb / Durabarb Plus (absorbable, polydioxanone ± antibacterial) and Polybarb — barbed sutures: knotless, continuous closure; they distribute tension along the suture line and shorten operating time.

Fourth decision: closure technique — a matter no less important than material selection

In midline abdominal closure, choosing the right material is not enough; closure technique matters at least as much. The European Hernia Society (EHS) guideline on the closure of abdominal wall incisions rests on specific parameters: a continuous suture, a slowly absorbable monofilament, and a suture-length-to-wound-length ratio of at least 4:1.

The practical meaning of this ratio is the small bites technique: stitches placed about 5 mm from the edge and every 5 mm — as opposed to large bites (1 cm or more). The double-blind, multicenter randomized trial known as STITCH compared exactly these two techniques and showed a significantly lower one-year incisional hernia rate in the small-bites group.

A practical summary for selection: in fascia, not a few wide stitches with a thick suture, but many small stitches with a fine suture — and a slowly absorbable monofilament that provides long-term support, such as Duracryl (polydioxanone).

The complete range map: structure, absorption, coating

The answers to the three questions help determine the required suture type: how long the suture must remain in the tissue (absorption and its duration), how it should pass through the tissue (structure), and whether the suture line needs additional protection (coating). The table below maps every line of the Dolphin Sutures catalogue against these criteria.

Orders are accepted for every position in the table: products not currently in our catalogue (marked “made to order”) are brought in on pre-order. The Petcryl 910, Duracryl, and Progut lines are also available as needle-free ligatures (prelooped).

“Made to order” — lines not currently represented in our catalog; they are brought in on pre-order. Absorption times are a guide based on the manufacturer's technical documentation; the support period (strength retention) is shorter than the complete absorption time.

The needle point is chosen according to the tissue being sutured

• Taper point — the needle's round body tapers to a sharp tip. It separates tissue without cutting, and the hole closes around the suture after the needle passes. Used for vessels, bowel, fascia, muscle, and subcutaneous tissue.
• Conventional cutting — the cutting edge is on the inner (concave) side of the needle. Suitable for tough tissues such as skin and dense connective tissue.
• Reverse cutting — the cutting edge is on the outer (convex) side of the needle. It prevents the hole from enlarging as the suture is pulled through; considered the preferred choice for skin, oral mucosa, and aesthetic surgery.
• Blunt point — for parenchymal organs and situations with a high risk of needlestick injury.
• Spatula point — ophthalmology: passage in the plane between thin tissue layers.

Needle curvature depends on the depth of the suture

Curvature is expressed as a fraction of a circle. The greater the curvature, the less space is needed to rotate the needle — so more curved needles suit deep, narrow spaces:
3/8 circle — convenient in superficial, open fields (skin).
1/2 circle — allows the needle to be rotated in narrow, deep spaces (pelvis, bowel).
1/4 circle — ophthalmology.
5/8 circle — very confined spaces (urology).
Straight needles are for superficial skin sutures.

A practical rule

Needle length should match the depth of the suture: a needle that is too long cannot be rotated in a confined field, while one that is too short will not reach the required depth. Suture size and needle size must also be matched — in our catalog every item lists needle type, length, and curvature, all selectable with filters.

The mesh material is not an aesthetic choice — it follows from the plane of placement. If the mesh is placed outside the peritoneum (extraperitoneal), a plain monofilament polypropylene mesh is sufficient: strong, inexpensive, and well integrated. But if the mesh will remain in contact with bowel inside the abdominal cavity, one side must carry an anti-adhesion barrier layer — otherwise the risk of bowel adhesion and fistula increases.

The Dolphin Sutures mesh range

• Knit — knitted monofilament polypropylene in various pore sizes: tension-free and laparoscopic hernia repair.
• Knit 3D — a preformed anatomical contour: laparoscopic inguinal hernia repair.
• Silene — a silicone-polymer composite, dual-sided: open and laparoscopic intraperitoneal repair.
• Teflene — polypropylene + ePTFE barrier: intraperitoneal.
• Ultralene — polyester + polyethylene layer: ventral hernia.
• Duolene — polypropylene + polyethylene layer: ventral hernia.
• Monosolve V2 and V2 3D — partially absorbable (polypropylene + poliglecaprone 25): the absorbable component disappears after integration, leaving less permanent material.
• Tiolene — titanium-coated lightweight polypropylene: used to reduce the inflammatory response.

Fixation

For mesh fixation, the Tacksure mesh tacker, Tiloc titanium clips, and Polyloc polymer clips are available; for suture fixation, polypropylene monofilament is the standard choice.

Antibacterial-coated sutures

The structure of a braided suture can create micro-harbors for bacteria. The triclosan coating targets exactly this problem: it limits bacterial colonization on and around the suture surface. In the Dolphin range, this coating is available in the Duracryl Plus (polydioxanone), Petcryl Plus (polyglactin 910), and Mono AB (poliglecaprone 25) lines.

An important note: an antibacterial suture does not replace sterility or surgical technique — it is an additional layer of protection and makes sense where the risk of infection is high.

Barbed sutures

The micro-barbs on the surface of a barbed suture anchor into tissue, so the suture does not need to be knotted. This yields three practical benefits: time (shorter operating time on long suture lines), even tension distribution (no concentration at a knot point), and the absence of knot material. In the Dolphin range: Durabarb and Durabarb Plus (polydioxanone, absorbable) and Polybarb (polypropylene, non-absorbable, loop design).

Typical applications: long continuous suture lines in abdominoplasty, mastopexy, gynecologic, and bariatric procedures.

Dolphin Sutures products are manufactured under an ISO 13485 certified production system and carry the CE mark. During manufacturing, suture tensile strength, needle attachment strength, needle sharpness, and sterility are tested — these are verifications of compliance with release criteria — a quality control system.

Certificates and registrations

The manufacturer, Futura Surgicare Pvt Ltd (Bengaluru, India), has been operating since 1994; the Dolphin Sutures brand dates from 2003. The quality system is certified to ISO 13485:2016 (medical devices) and ISO 9001:2015; production also conforms to WHO-GMP requirements.

The CE certificates are issued by notified body DNV (No. 2460) under the “Full Quality Assurance” route and cover both the absorbable and the non-absorbable suture ranges. Products are additionally registered in markets including the United Kingdom (UKCA) and are used in more than 85 countries. According to the manufacturer, its products have been used in over 100 million operations to date.

Manufacturing environment and sterilization

Production runs in a Class 10,000 cleanroom: braiding is automated and needles are laser-processed. Sterilization is not outsourced — it is performed in-house in ethylene-oxide (ETO) sterilizers under a validated process.

Release testing: pharmacopoeia standards

Every batch is tested in the manufacturer’s own quality-control laboratory against the requirements of the USP and the European Pharmacopoeia (EP): the pharmacopoeias define specific test methods and minimum limits for suture diameter, tensile strength, and needle attachment strength. Sterility and package integrity are also part of the release criteria; the results are recorded in the batch documentation.