Suturing or steches with is more accurate term
Reading File
"Suturing" and "stitches" refer to the same thing, but they are not interchangeable in register — one is the clinical/technical term, the other is the lay term.
- Suturing is the accurate medical term. It refers to the procedure of closing a wound, incision, or surgical site using a needle and thread (suture material). "Suture" is also the correct term for the actual strand of material (e.g., nylon, polypropylene, catgut, Vicryl) used to approximate tissue edges.
- Stitches is the common/lay term used by patients and in everyday speech to describe the same thing — both the individual loops of suture material placed in the skin and the act of placing them ("getting stitches").
So in a clinical, academic, or documentation context (charts, textbooks, procedure notes), "suturing" and "suture" are the terms you should use. "Stitches" is acceptable in patient-facing conversation but is considered informal/lay terminology, not the precise clinical term.
A quick note on internal consistency of usage:
- The verb/procedure = "suturing" (e.g., "the laceration was closed with simple interrupted suturing")
- The material/thread = "suture" (e.g., "4-0 nylon suture was used")
- The visible closure points = colloquially called "stitches," technically called "sutures" (e.g., "the sutures were removed on day 7")
If you're writing for a medical/academic audience, use "suturing"/"suture." If you're explaining to a patient, "stitches" is fine and more relatable.
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