Clinical Experience with Rigid Wire in Wound Closure

Introduction  The better holding power and tolerance by tissues of stainless-steel wire¹ sutures have been attributed to the superior strength, antiseptic properties, inertness, and smooth surface without interstices.^{8,11,12,15,16} Most surgeons recognize these advantages over more conventional materials, but few use the wire in the closure of abdominal fascia because of certain annoyances. It is difficult to handle in tying; knots seat poorly, and occasionally one or more sutures need to be removed because of pain produced by cut ends. The behavior of multifilament wire in infected wounds is similar to that of silk, presumably due to the interstices, in the prescence of which healing after infection is often followed by recurrence of inflammation, abscess formation, draining sinus tracts, and spontaneous extrusion or surgical removal of the suture.A method for closure of fascia in abdominal wounds with preformed rigid wire sutures was first described three years ago.⁷