Prolene is not absorbable. It is a synthetic, non-absorbable monofilament suture made from polypropylene, a type of plastic polymer. Once placed in the body, Prolene stays there permanently unless a surgeon removes it. This is by design: Prolene is chosen specifically for procedures where long-lasting tissue support matters.
What Prolene Is Made Of
Prolene is manufactured by Ethicon (a Johnson & Johnson company) through the chemical polymerization of propylene into polypropylene. The result is a single smooth strand, called a monofilament, as opposed to braided sutures that weave multiple threads together. It comes in blue and is available in sizes ranging from extremely fine (10-0, used in eye surgery) to relatively thick (size 2, used in heavy tissue).
Because polypropylene is biologically inert, the body doesn’t break it down the way it breaks down absorbable sutures like Vicryl (polyglactin 910) or Monocryl (poliglecaprone 25). Prolene retains its tensile strength for at least two years in tissue, and its structural integrity persists well beyond that.
How Prolene Differs From Absorbable Sutures
Absorbable sutures are designed to dissolve over weeks or months as the body’s enzymes and water break them down. They’re useful when removing stitches would be impractical or unnecessary, like deep internal layers that heal on their own. Prolene does the opposite: it provides a permanent anchor point that won’t weaken as scar tissue forms.
In a study comparing Prolene to the absorbable suture Vicryl in blood vessel repairs, both had similar rates of keeping the vessel open (about 59% for Prolene and 68% for Vicryl). However, arteries repaired with Vicryl showed less scar formation and less tissue damage around the suture site. The trade-off is that absorbable sutures lose their strength before some tissues finish healing, which makes them a poor choice when permanent reinforcement is needed.
Why Surgeons Choose a Permanent Suture
Prolene is commonly used in cardiovascular surgery, hernia repair, and any procedure where the tissue needs continuous mechanical support. Heart valve repairs, for example, require sutures that won’t degrade under the constant stress of a beating heart. Hernia meshes are often secured with Prolene because the repair must hold for the rest of the patient’s life.
Another reason surgeons reach for Prolene is its low tissue reactivity. All sutures trigger some degree of foreign body response, where the immune system recognizes the material and sends inflammatory cells to surround it. In comparative studies, polypropylene consistently produces less inflammation than other materials. Braided sutures like silk and polyglactin triggered notably more severe reactions, while Prolene showed no severe foreign body response even at seven days after surgery. This matters because less inflammation means less scarring and a lower risk of complications at the suture site.
When Prolene Needs to Be Removed
When Prolene is used to close skin (rather than buried deep in tissue), it must be removed manually since it won’t dissolve on its own. Removal timelines depend on the body area:
- Face: 4 to 5 days
- Neck: 7 days
- Arms and back of hands: 7 days
- Scalp, chest, abdomen, or back: 7 to 10 days
- Legs and top of feet: 10 days
- Palms, soles, fingers, toes, or over joints: 12 to 14 days
Leaving non-absorbable skin sutures in too long increases the risk of scarring and suture marks. Your surgeon or clinic will tell you exactly when to come back for removal.
Potential Long-Term Complications
Because Prolene is permanent, any suture left inside the body carries a small risk of long-term issues. The most common is suture erosion, where the material gradually works its way through tissue and becomes visible or palpable. This is more common with braided permanent sutures than with smooth monofilament ones like Prolene, but it can still happen.
In one study of permanent sutures used in pelvic surgery, nearly 45% of patients had a suture-related complication at their six-to-eight-week follow-up, mostly suture exposure through the healing tissue. About half of those patients had no symptoms at all, while others experienced vaginal bleeding or discharge. The study noted that braided permanent sutures likely cause more of these problems than monofilament options like polypropylene, because bacteria can harbor in the grooves of braided material and sustain a low-grade chronic infection.
When suture exposure is identified more than three months after surgery, it generally won’t resolve on its own and the exposed material needs to be trimmed or removed. Earlier exposures sometimes settle down without intervention as healing continues.
Prolene vs. Other Non-Absorbable Sutures
Prolene isn’t the only permanent suture available. Nylon (Ethilon) and polyester (Ethibond) are also non-absorbable, but they differ in important ways. Nylon slowly loses about 15 to 20% of its strength per year inside the body, while Prolene’s polypropylene composition makes it more chemically stable over time. Polyester sutures are braided, giving them better knot security but also a higher infection risk and more tissue reactivity.
Prolene’s main handling drawback is its “memory,” meaning it tends to spring back to its original shape rather than lying flat. This makes knots less secure, so surgeons typically throw extra knot passes when tying Prolene compared to braided alternatives. The smooth monofilament surface that makes it gentle on tissue also makes it slippery in the surgeon’s hands.