Written and maintained by CASRAI Editorial Board
Last updated
This page describes products and general use; it is not medical advice.
Ethibond is a brand of nonabsorbable, braided, sterile polyester surgical suture; Mersilene is the same kind of material under a different brand name. Clinic staff, buyers and students searching either name can use this page to place the brand in its generic category and see how FDA defines it. Who uses it: surgical and procedural teams, and the staff who stock them.
What Ethibond is
Ethibond Excel is a polyester suture sold by Johnson & Johnson MedTech. Its product page describes it as a nonabsorbable, braided, sterile suture made of poly(ethylene terephthalate), commonly shortened to PET, and dyed green (product code D7435; Johnson & Johnson MedTech product page, checked 2026-10-30). In short: the brand name points to a generic device type, a nonabsorbable PET polyester suture.
How it is built
- Material: poly(ethylene terephthalate), a polyester of high molecular weight made of linear fibers with aromatic rings.
- Construction: braided, which the manufacturer states is for handling properties. A braided suture is a multifilament thread, several fine fibers worked together.
- Color: dyed green, which the manufacturer states is for visibility in the surgical field.
- Nonabsorbable: the material is not designed to be broken down by the body. For the contrast with absorbable materials, see our guide to what a suture is and the comparison of absorbable vs non-absorbable sutures.
Ethibond Excel vs Mersilene
On the attributes the manufacturer publishes on the product pages, the two are the same. Details that differ between products, such as sizes, needles and coatings, are in each product’s instructions for use and specification sheet.
| Attribute | Ethibond Excel | Mersilene | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Material | Poly(ethylene terephthalate) | Poly(ethylene terephthalate) | Manufacturer product pages |
| Absorbable? | Nonabsorbable | Nonabsorbable | Manufacturer product pages |
| Construction | Braided | Braided | Manufacturer product pages |
| Supplied | Sterile | Sterile | Manufacturer product pages |
| Color | Dyed green | Dyed green | Manufacturer product pages |
How FDA classifies polyester sutures
FDA regulates this suture type under 21 CFR 878.5000, titled "Nonabsorbable poly(ethylene terephthalate) surgical suture" (eCFR, checked 2026-10-30). The regulation identifies it as a multifilament, nonabsorbable, sterile, flexible thread made from fibers of high molecular weight, long-chain, linear polyesters with recurrent aromatic rings, indicated for soft tissue approximation. The same text says such a suture:
- meets the U.S.P. requirements in the Monograph for Nonabsorbable Surgical Sutures;
- may be uncoated or coated, and undyed or dyed with an appropriate FDA-listed color additive;
- may be provided with or without a standard needle attached.
It is a Class II device (special controls); the special control is FDA’s guidance document "Surgical Sutures; Guidance for Industry and FDA." This is the regulatory category that brand names such as Ethibond and Mersilene sit under, which is why a search for the brand and a search for "polyester suture uses" lead to the same device type. For wider context on device terms, see what a medical device is.
How to choose
The manufacturer’s product pages do not list selection criteria such as size, needle type or application, so none are stated here. Choice of suture is made by the clinician for the procedure, and a product’s package insert (instructions for use) is the reference for its indications and specifications. Stocking staff can check that the product named on a requisition matches the brand, material and package-insert details the clinician specified. Kits that include sutures are covered in what is in a wound closure kit, and sterile supply handling in sterile vs non-sterile purchasing. Braided suture products are listed in the braided sutures category.
Safe use and handling basics
- The product is supplied sterile; follow the package insert and your facility’s policy on sterile packaging and storage.
- Use is by trained clinicians for the intended procedure; this page gives no procedural instruction.
- Read the package insert for each product before use. It, not a brand name, defines indications, contraindications and warnings.
Common mistakes
- Treating the brand name as the whole specification. Ethibond and Mersilene share material and construction, but a requisition also needs the exact product details from the package insert.
- Assuming nonabsorbable means the same as braided or green. These are separate attributes: absorbability describes the material, braiding the construction, color the dye.
- Assuming a polyester suture is coated, uncoated or needled. The FDA definition allows all of these variations, so confirm on the product.
FAQ
What is Ethibond suture made of?
Ethibond Excel is made of poly(ethylene terephthalate), a polyester, per the manufacturer’s product page (checked 2026-10-30).
Is Mersilene the same as Ethibond?
Both are described by the manufacturer as nonabsorbable, braided, sterile, green-dyed PET sutures. Differences, if any, are in the product specifications and instructions for use, which the manufacturer’s product pages link to.
Is Ethibond absorbable?
No. The manufacturer describes it as nonabsorbable.
How does FDA define a polyester suture?
As a multifilament, nonabsorbable, sterile, flexible thread of linear polyester fibers indicated for soft tissue approximation, regulated as Class II under 21 CFR 878.5000.
Sources
- Johnson & Johnson MedTech, Ethibond Excel Polyester Suture product page: https://www.jnjmedtech.com/en-US/product/ethibond-excel-polyester-suture (checked 2026-10-30).
- Johnson & Johnson MedTech, Mersilene Polyester Fiber Suture product page: https://www.jnjmedtech.com/en-US/product/mersilene-polyester-fiber-suture (checked 2026-10-30).
- eCFR, 21 CFR 878.5000 Nonabsorbable poly(ethylene terephthalate) surgical suture: https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-21/section-878.5000 (checked 2026-10-30).
