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Needles are produced in various sizes and shapes to allow the surgeon to make an appropriate choice.

Similarly are produced in various gauges and lengths to allow the surgeon to match the suture with the wound.

The packet containing the needle and suture is labelled as shown in figure 10. The label describes the contents of the packet and gives the surgeon considerable information important in making the correct choice of both the needle and suture. It describes the material the suture is constructed from and the length and diameter of the suture. The shape and type of needle is illustrated (figure 10). Each individual manufacturer colour codes the type of suture to allow ease of recognition (figure 11).

Figure 10: Demonstrating labelling on suture packet.

Figure 11: Shows the colour code, which allows the suture type to be identified quickly.