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What material is catgut suture made from?
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Injuries that break skin can be painfully memorable.
Catgut suture is made from the intestines of certain animals, most commonly sheep.12
Despite the name, there is no evidence that the intestines of cats were ever used for this purpose. To produce the material, the intestinal tubes are cleaned, scraped to remove mucous membranes and muscle tissue, processed in an alkaline bath, and then twisted into cords of varying thickness. Because it is an absorbable material, it is frequently used to tie off small blood vessels, as the body eventually absorbs the suture, leaving no foreign material behind.12