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In surgery or medical procedure, a ligature consists of a piece of thread (suture) tied around an anatomical structure, usually a blood vessel or an other hollow structure (ie urethra) to shut it off. With a blood vessel the surgeon will clamp the vessel perpendicular to the axis of the artery or vein with a hemostat, then secure it by ligating it ie, using a piece of suture around it before dividing the structure and releasing the hemostat. It is different from a tourniquet in that the tourniquet will not be secured by knots and it can therefore be released/tightened at will.

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The principle of ligation is attributed to Galen, later rediscovered some 1500 years later by Ambroise Paré and finally it found its modern use in 1870-80, made popular by Jules-Émile Péan.

See also

• Hemostat
• Tourniquet
• Surgical suture
• List of medical topics