Every instant, surgeons use techniques of suturing, or stitching, to heal incisions and large wounds. Future Practicing Physicians Network used its club resources to introduce their members to this common practice in the medical field.

On Monday, Nov. 9 officers held a suturing lesson with chicken breasts.

“This is actually a really complicated procedure and I think that [the members] are doing really well for first-timers,” officer junior Neelufar Raja said. “We did a lab safety meeting also and now with this I feel like they are doing really well for the amount of time and experience they have had with this procedure.”

The meeting consisted of groups of two to three students per station. Each student experimented with inserting a needle into the breast and stitching an incision made by the officers.

However, some members had difficulties with performing each of the steps.

“I think it went pretty well,” junior Mei Jin explained. “But I did experience some challenges because I have very poor hand-eye coordination and the string was very coarse and it was hard to work with.”

Below are the basic steps and materials you should know and have while performed suturing.

Materials needed:

1.Use the needle driver to insert the needle into the wound.

2. Pull it through and leave a tail of thread at the end.

3. Wrap the needle around the needle driver three times.

4. Use the needle driver to grab the tail end of the thread and pull it through.

5. Repeat

Note: It is required that the forceps and needle driver be held with the thread the whole time.

For more information on FPPN and its meetings visit their Facebook page, website or email them at [email protected]. Meetings are every second and fourth Mondays in B106.