In this experiment, I will focus on the infection rate of Braided and Monofilament Vicryl sutures used to close the layers of fat and skin over the sternum after open heart surgery. I decided to narrow the list of sutures down to Braided and Monofilament Vicryl because these are designed and most commonly used for skin closure. I have read a few published articles online that state that bacteria adhere and grow on braided sutures more frequently than monofilament sutures. I will conduct my own experiment to see this for myself. Instead of using chicken feet, I will sew the sutures into pork belly because it closely resembles the properties of human skin (resistance, thickness, and texture). After five days, I will plate the sutures and observe bacterial growth. I will also swab pork belly without the sutures in it and plate it as a control because bacteria will be present on meat that has been out for five days. I will differentiate the bacteria attributed to rotting meat from the bacteria attributed to the sutures, and make my conclusions.
When I saw Dr. Patel's patients postoperatively in his office, some complained of itchiness and irritation near the incision. This could be a sign of developing infection, and I wondered if it might be attributed to the sutures used to close the incision. Of course, there are many things that can cause an infection in the wound, but I may be able to trace it back to the type of suture used by observing bacterial growth.
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