Sutures are defined as sterile surgical threads used for repairing cuts or lacerations and incisions from surgery. Similar to other methods of wound closure, surgical suture closure plays an integral role in facilitating wound healing. Historically, surgeons utilized needles with holes supplied separately from their suture thread, threaded on-site as in embroidery sewing. Besides, the threads or strands were made from animal and plant materials like cotton, catgut, and silk. But now, sutures must be strong so that they do not break, flexible, as well as non-toxic and hypoallergenic in order to inhibit adverse reactions.
As per Inkwood Research, the global surgical sutures market is set to rise with a CAGR of 5.46% during the forecasted years of 2022 to 2030. The growth trend is attributed to the rise in surgical procedures, the growing preference for minimally invasive surgeries, and the availability of a wide variety of sutures. Besides, the evaluation of the market performance based on its product segmentation is projected to further drive the market size ad revenue.
Surgical Sutures Market by Product Type
While surgical sutures can be categorized into several forms, an important classification is whether the suture material is non-absorbable or absorbable. Since the enzymes present in the body’s tissues can naturally digest absorbable or dissolvable sutures, medical professionals do not need to physically remove them. Our study estimates that the absorbable sutures segment will witness significant traction, projected to grow with the highest CAGR in the coming future.
Some of the top companies offering absorbable and non-absorbable sutures within the global market include Medtronic PLC, Ethicon (Johnson & Johnson), Boston Scientific Corporation, Smith & Nephew, and others.
Region Segment Review
The Asia-Pacific, Europe, and Latin America are becoming increasingly popular destinations for medical tourism, since they offer cost-effective and high-grade, minimally-invasive surgeries. While medical tourism is a rapidly growing phenomenon with policy implications for healthcare systems, governments across Southeast Asia are increasingly promoting the industry. This notable growth is mainly accredited to the development of the private sector, with medical tourism, in particular, emerging as a lucrative market opportunity.
On the other hand, according to a report published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology 2018, the incidence of cardiovascular diseases (CVD) has surged in India over the last twenty years. With the growing prevalence of cardiac diseases in India, surgeries in cardiology also observe a growing trend. This has significantly influenced the Indian surgical sutures market and will continue the trend in the coming future.
South Asian countries also capitalize on their popularity as tourist destinations through the amalgamation of superior-quality medical services at relatively competitive prices, along with tourist packages. For instance, Thailand has established a niche for sex-change operations and aesthetic treatments. Likewise, Singapore attracts patients at the market’s high end for advanced treatments such as stem cell therapy, cardiovascular, and neurological surgery. Cosmetic procedures are also observing a significant increase in nations like Indonesia, Vietnam, South Korea, and Thailand, thus raising the demand for surgical sutures and contributing to the Asia-Pacific surgical sutures market growth.
Smart Sutures: An Opportunistic Trend
The development of thread-based technology has been intricately studied by numerous professionals over recent years. Since technological advances have made diagnostic devices more wearable and smaller, the miniaturized electronic systems can now be integrated into surgical sutures. This enables contemporary sutures to be replaced with smart sutures, made of nano-scale sensors, microfluidics, and electronics.
In order to detect wound complications promptly, a team of researchers from the National University of Singapore (NUS) Institute for Health Innovation & Technology and NUS Electrical and Computer Engineering invented a battery-free smart suture capable of wirelessly sensing and transmitting information from deep surgical sites. The miniature electronic sensor incorporated in the smart suture analyzes tissue micromotions, wound integrity, and gastric leakage while delivering healing results equivalent to medical-grade sutures. As a result, smart sutures are likely to create possibilities for complex structural monitoring, thus proliferating the global surgical sutures market.
FAQs:
How are surgical sutures classified based on the material’s structure?
Surgical sutures are classified on the grounds of the actual structure of the material. For example, a braided suture comprises several small threads braided together. Although it is very secure, a braided suture raises the potential for infections. Conversely, a monofilament suture is composed of a single thread, allowing the suture to easily pass through the tissues.
Highlight the use of barbed sutures in the field of minimally invasive gynecologic surgery.
Since their advent, barbed sutures have gained tremendous popularity in the field of minimally invasive gynecologic surgery. They are now widely used to re-approximate the myometrium following a laparoscopic myomectomy, seal the vaginal cuff in a complete laparoscopic hysterectomy, and for reducing the time taken during a laparoscopic sacrocolpopexy procedure.