How to suture a wound: A video tutorial

Before you start your third year of medical school you absolutely need to know how to suture.  In this post I will provide some of the best video tutorials for suturing. (See my other posts to review one and two hand surgical knots and instrument tying.) During my general surgery rotation and OB/GYN countless attendings and residents would look at me as the case was ending and say, “hey med student, can you suture?  Will you close while I dictate?”  I was also asked to suture quite a few lacerations during my ED rotation.  Learn early and learn often.  Your school will likely have a suturing training course, but you need to keep fresh.  I recommend the two videos listed below as tutorials.  The first (not youtube, so you have to click on it) is the most professional and has some images to help understand the mechanics.

Video 1: From medicanalife.com

Video 2:

It is also very important to know a few common pimping questions (below).  The Medscape website offers a very good and very free review of all of these questions.

1. The indications for suturing vs. glue vs. healing by secondary intention
2. Time to removal of stitches
3. Types of suture, and when to use each
4. How and when to use lidocaine and/or epinephrine prior to suturing
5. Lethal dose of lidocaine (I have been pimped on this at least 10 times)

Related posts:

How to instrument tie: A video tutorial Proper gowning and gloving, a training video One and two handed surgical knot tying: A video tutorial