Prolene
Encyclopedia
Polypropylene
Polypropylene , also known as polypropene, is a thermoplastic polymer used in a wide variety of applications including packaging, textiles , stationery, plastic parts and reusable containers of various types, laboratory equipment, loudspeakers, automotive components, and polymer banknotes...
suture. It is indicated for skin closure and general soft tissue approximation and ligation. Its advantages include minimal tissue reactivity and durability. Disadvantages include fragility, high plasticity, high expense, and difficulty of use compared to standard nylon
Nylon
Nylon is a generic designation for a family of synthetic polymers known generically as polyamides, first produced on February 28, 1935, by Wallace Carothers at DuPont's research facility at the DuPont Experimental Station...
sutures.
Composed of an isotactic crystalline stereoisomer of polypropylene, Prolene sutures are intended to be durable and long lasting. They are dyed blue
Blue
Blue is a colour, the perception of which is evoked by light having a spectrum dominated by energy with a wavelength of roughly 440–490 nm. It is considered one of the additive primary colours. On the HSV Colour Wheel, the complement of blue is yellow; that is, a colour corresponding to an equal...
, allowing for easy visibility against skin
Skin
-Dermis:The dermis is the layer of skin beneath the epidermis that consists of connective tissue and cushions the body from stress and strain. The dermis is tightly connected to the epidermis by a basement membrane. It also harbors many Mechanoreceptors that provide the sense of touch and heat...
and when operating. It is composed of a single filament.
A polypropylene mesh is also marketed under the name Prolene by Ethicon. It is used for repairing hernia
Hernia
A hernia is the protrusion of an organ or the fascia of an organ through the wall of the cavity that normally contains it. A hiatal hernia occurs when the stomach protrudes into the mediastinum through the esophageal opening in the diaphragm....
s and other injuries to the fascia
Fascia
A fascia is a layer of fibrous tissue that permeates the human body. A fascia is a connective tissue that surrounds muscles, groups of muscles, blood vessels, and nerves, binding those structures together in much the same manner as plastic wrap can be used to hold the contents of sandwiches...
.
Prolene commonly is used in both human and veterinary medicine for skin closure. In human medicine it is used in cardiovascular, ophthalmic and neurological procedures. It is often used in conjunction with the absorbable suture Monocryl
Monocryl
Monocryl is a synthetic, absorbable suture, manufactured and trademarked by Ethicon. It is composed of poliglecaprone 25, which is a copolymer of glycolide and epsilon-caprolactone. It comes both dyed and undyed , and is a monofilament suture....
. Prolene is manufactured by Ethicon Inc.
Ethicon Inc.
Ethicon, Inc. is a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson. It was incorporated as a separate company under the Johnson & Johnson umbrella in 1949 to expand and diversify the Johnson & Johnson product line....
, a subsidiary of Johnson and Johnson. The name Prolene is a trademark of Ethicon Inc.
Prolene has also become the mainstay of vascular anastomoses and had facilitated significant advances in cardiac and vascular surgery. It is used on both small vessels such as coronary artery bypasses and large vessels including the aorta. It is used in obstetrical practice, during cesarean sections to suture the rectus sheath of the abdominal wall because it is non-absorbable in nature and provides the sheath the due strength it deserves (rectus sheath is composed of various tendon extensions and muscle fibres and maintains the strength of the abdominal wall,if it becomes weak the abdominal contents start herniating out) it stays there forever and is also often seen during repeat cesarean section as that of the previous section.