Fundamentals of Oculoplastic Surgery

In oculoplastic surgery, the appropriate choice of sutures and needles is extremely important, as it makes surgery easier, yields less scarring, reduces the chance of wound infection and can avoid the need for suture removal reducing the number of post-operative visits. Ideally, sutures should cause no tissue damage or reaction and provide sufficient strength to support wound healing, and afterwards they should disappear. To date no suture fulfills these criteria and any choice will always also contain some degree of compromise. This chapter examines suture materials, needles, wound closure techniques and provides a description of the properties of frequently used oculoplastic surgical instruments.