Suturing Versus Non-suturing Methods

While suturing wounds makes them look better immediately, sutures often interfere with the skin circulation. When injuries are severe and/or affect the circulation significantly, alternative approaches to closure are likely to be much safer. Although almost anyone can learn how to suture, with living tissue the art is in the judgement of whether and when to suture, and in particular, when not to stitch tissue which has been injured acutely and is yet to swell. Several adaptable and useful techniques are described in this chapter.