There's also surgical staples and surgical glue.
Yeah, I was thinking about the glue. I wonder if stitches still have some advantage, why isn't the glue ubiquitous?
I heard that's how Krazy Glue was invented.
In fact, one time Penn Jillette cut himself juggling broken bottles, and the next day on his radio show, he had his co-host, fellow juggler Michael Goudeau, glue his hand back together.
I haven't found that particular show yet on pennfans.net, but I did find one of the shows where my emails was read on the air: October 2, 2006.
I just had three stitches put into my finger the other day because I accidently sliced it open. It's nothing, but from what I hear, stitches, glue and staples each have their place on the body and their situation for use. I'm not sure what goes where or why, but that's what I've heard.
Puts me in mind of the comment that Bones made to Kirk about the old days of sewing people up with needles and catgut, etc. compared with the "zap" instrument that he had.
Do they still use cat gut?