Nonabsorbable sutures are often recommended for use in oculoplastic surgery. This study compares the in vivo performance of nonabsorbable and absorbable sutures in an animal model and attempts to determine if one suture type is clearly superior for subcutaneous wound closure. The performance of each suture was evaluated using three surgical techniques. Comparison of results revealed that different techniques produce profoundly different results, independent of suture choice. Clinically, all suture types behaved similarly when used with the same surgical technique. Thus, absorbable and nonabsorbable sutures are equally effective under the conditions of these experiments.