Plain gut is rapidly absorbed. Furthermore, tensile strength is maintained for only 7 to 10 days post implantation. In addition, absorption is completed within 70 days.

The surgeon may choose the use of plain gut in tissues, which heal rapidly and require minimal support; for example, ligating superficial blood vessels and suturing subcutaneous fatty tissue. In addition, plain surgical gut can also be specially heat-treated to accelerate tensile strength loss and absorption. This fast absorbing surgical gut is used primarily for epidermal suturing where sutures are required for only five to seven days. However, these sutures have less tensile strength than plain surgical gut of the similar U.S.P. size. Finally, fast absorbing plain gut is not to be used internally.