The use of polyglycolic acid sutures in outpatient cataract surgery.

The use of 7-0 polyglycolic acid (Dexon) sutures in 200 consecutive outpatient cataract extractions is described and compared with the use of 7-0 chromic gut sutures in 200 consecutive outpatient cataract extractions. The polyglycolic acid sutures appeared to be more comfortable to the patient than the chromic gut sutures, they absorbed at a constant, steady rate compared to a variable rate for the gut sutures and there were less postoperative complications with the polyglycolic acid sutures than with the gut sutures.