What material are the permanent sutures used in otoplasty made of?

Question

I had my ears pinned back in 1976, when I was 13 years old. I'll be having an MRI soon (thyroid area), and I'm wondering if I need to be concerned about the content of the permanent sutures that were used. That is, is it possible that they included metal, which would be contraindicated for an MRI.

Harry V. Wright, MD · Answer

I'm not aware of any cosmetic otoplasty technique, current or past, that included metal implants (including sutures). That said, an easy way to confirm the absence of metal would be a plain lateral film x-ray. Best wishes!  Harry V. Wright MD, Sarasota, Florida

Somyos Kunachak, MD - Account Suspended · Answer

Hi Lisa1963,I have not heard of anybody using/producing metal based sutures. Sutures are mostly made of materials strong enough to hold tissues together but still flexible enough for knotting.

Francis R. Palmer, III, MD (retired) · Answer

Hi, I've performed Otoplasty for 30 years and typically the retaining suture is a type of nylon or braided permanent material but not metal as this would cut through the cartilage.  Not much use for metal clips that are sometimes used to stop large bleeding vessels but a simple XRAY of the head would reveal any metal tin the area.Hope this helps.

What material are the permanent sutures used in otoplasty made of?

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What material are the permanent sutures used in otoplasty made of?

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Everything you need to know about Ear Surgery

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