TYPES OF EYELESS NEEDLES
| TYPES OF NEEDLES : |
| Cutting Needles : |
| Cutting needles have at least two opposing cutting edges |
| They are sharpened to cut through tough, difficult-to penetrate tissue |
|
Cutting needles are ideal for skin sutures that must pass through dense, irregular, and relatively thick connective dermal tissue |
|
Due to the sharpness of the cutting edge, care must be taken in some tissue ( tendon sheath or oral mucous membrane ) to avoid cutting through more tissue than desired |
| Conventional Cutting Needles : |
|
In addition to the two cutting edges, conventional cutting needles have a third cutting edge on the inside concave curvature of the needle |
| The shape changes from a triangular cutting blade to that of a flattened body on both straight and curved needles |
| This needle type may be prone to cutout of tissue because the inside cutting edge cuts toward the edges of the incision or wound |
| The inside and outside curvatures of the body are flattened in the needle grasping area for greater stability in the needle holder |
| Reverse Cutting Needles : |
| These needles were created specifically for tough, difficult-to-penetrate tissue such as skin, tendon sheath, or oral mucosa |
| Reverse cutting needles are used in ophthalmic and cosmetic surgery where minimal trauma, early regeneration of tissue, and little scar formation are primary concerns |
| The reverse cutting needle is as sharp as the conventional cutting needle, but its design is distinctively different. The third cutting edge is located on the outer convex curvature of the needle |
| This offers several advantages: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Round Body Needles : |
| Round body needles pierce and spread tissue without cutting it |
| The needle point tapers to a sharp tip |
| The needle body then flattens to an oval or rectangular shape. This increases the width of the body to help prevent twisting or turning in the needle holder |
| Round body needles are usually used in easily penetrated tissue such as the peritoneum, abdominal viscera, myocardium, and subcutaneous layers |
| They are preferred when the smallest possible hole in the tissue and minimum tissue cutting are desired |
| They are also used in the internal anastomoses to prevent leakage which can subsequently lead to contamination of the abdominal cavity |
| In the fascia, round body needles minimize the potential for tearing the thin connective tissue lying between parallel and interlacing bands of denser, connecting tissue |
| The Mayo needle has a round body, but a heavier and more flattened body than conventional taper needles |
| This needle was designed for use in dense tissue; particularly for gynecological procedures, general closure, and hernia repair |
| Taper Cutting Needles : |
|
Taper cutting needles which combine the features of the reverse cutting edge tip and round body needles |
|
Three cutting edges extend approximately 1/32" back from the point. These blend into a round taper body |
| All three edges are sharpened to provide uniform cutting action |
| The point, readily penetrates dense, tough tissue |
| The objective should be for the point itself not to exceed the diameter of the suture material |
|
The taper body portion provides smooth passage through tissue and eliminates the danger of cutting into the surrounding tissue |
|
Although initially designed for use in cardiovascular surgery on sclerotic or calcified tissue, the Taper cutting needle is widely used for suturing dense, fibrous connective tissue--especially in fascia, periosteum, and tendon where separation of parallel connective tissue fibers could occur with a conventional cutting needle |
| Blunt Point Needles : |
|
Blunt point (BP) needles can literally dissect friable tissue rather than cutting it. They have a taper body with a rounded, blunt point that will not cut through tissue |
| They may be used for suturing the liver and the kidney |
|
In addition, blunt point needles for general closure are especially helpful when performing procedures on at-risk patients |
[ Back to General Information ]
