Not Medical Advice: Controlled-release needle is used for rapid, efficient placement of interrupted sutures.
Surgical needles consist of three structural parts: the swage or eye, the body, and point types, depending upon their intended surgical use. Each variation has advantages and disadvantages.
Three types of eye are in common surgical use: swaged, controlled release (“pop-off”), and open. With a swaged-on shank, the suture is placed inside the hollowed end of the needle and crimped into place by the manufacturer. The convenience and ease of surgical manipulation makes this design ideal for most obstetric applications. The diameter of the swaged-on needle end is larger than that of the rest of the needle and determines the size of the suture tract (Bennett, 1988).
Controlled-release needles are similar to swaged-on needles but are designed to be released (“pop-off”) with a sharp tug of the needle holder. This enables needle removal of interrupted sutures without the suture being cut.
The advantage of open-eyed needles is that they allow the use of a variety of suture types and diameters. Such needles generally are manufactured in uncommonly used sizes because prepackaging with a spectrum of suture types is economically unfeasible. Open-eyed needles are rarely used in obstetric surgery, but occasionally they are helpful in specialized situations, such as uterine artery ligation or cerclage placement.
Learn more at obgynkey.com.