Vicryl suture has proved to be an excellent material for intestinal surgery. It performed well in 40 surgical procedures involving the small bowel, colon and rectum. It is particularly suitable for use in the presence of contamination or infection, since its rate of absorption is unaffected by the presence of inflammatory cells, in contradistinction to surgical gut. The rate of absorption and loss of strength of Vicryl suture is ideally suited for gastrointestinal surgery, since Vicryl suture retains adequate strength for 21—28 days and stomach and colonic wounds have regained their ultimate strength within this period. The uniformity of biologic behavior of Vicryl suture, compared with surgical gut, makes it the suture of choice for intestinal surgery