The question whether or not to employ sutures in cataract extraction has been debated for many years. Most surgeons of the present day choose to use sutures of some type. Some prefer a suture which approximates only the conjunctival edges; some anchor a small conjunctival flap down to the episcleral tissue, while others actually approximate the severed edges of the cornea and the sclera at the limbus by means of one or more sutures of the single or of the double mattress type.
While surgical silk has proved in general to be satisfactory suture material, there are types of operations in which it is desirable to have a suture material that is absorbable and therefore does not require removal. Cataract extraction is an example. After the lens has been removed, the eye is frequently sensitive to light. The patient is often nervous, apprehensive and hypersensitive and may jump at the