Effect of bipolar cautery on tensile strength of 6-0 polyglactin 910 suture.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the effect of bipolar cautery on 6-0 polyglactin 910 suture.


METHODS
Three groups of sutures were tested for maximum tensile strength. The first group (direct cautery) had bipolar cautery applied directly to the suture. The second group (scleral cautery) had bipolar cautery applied directly on top of the sclera, through which the suture was passed one-half scleral thickness. The third group (control) had no application of cautery to the suture.


RESULTS
The mean tensile strength for the direct cautery sutures (n=8) was 553 g; for the scleral cautery sutures (n=7), 577 g; and for the control sutures (n=5), 553 g. There was no statistically significant difference in tensile strength between the three groups, with the analysis of variance yielding P=.56.


CONCLUSIONS
Bipolar cautery causes little to no risk of reducing the tensile strength of 6-0 polyglactin 910 suture in the setting of strabismus surgery.
Eustis
H S
HS
Department of Ophthalmology, Ochsner Clinic and Alton Ochsner Medical Foundation, New Orleans, LA 70121, USA.
Marshburn
J S
JS
D002425:Cautery; D011098:Polyglactin 910; D013537:Sutures; D013718:Tensile Strength / Q000502:physiology*
D011098:Polyglactin 910