What term describes a strand provided to the surgeon in lieu of a suture during a surgical procedure?

The term that describes a strand provided to the surgeon in lieu of a suture during a surgical procedure is a free tie. Free ties are lengths of thread or tape that allow the surgeon to ligate blood vessels or tissue without the need for a needle, making them particularly useful in situations where quick or temporary closure is required. They can be easier to manipulate in certain scenarios, such as in vessels that are difficult to reach or in particular surgical fields where space is limited.

In contrast, a continuous suture refers to a specific suturing technique where a single strand of suture material is used to create a series of stitches without tying off the material after each stitch. A clamp is an instrument used to hold or compress tissue and is not used as a strand or ligature. A graft is a piece of tissue or organ that is transplanted from one location to another, which again is dissimilar to the function of a free tie. Thus, the concept of free ties is central to understanding surgical practices, especially in intraoperative scenarios where quick and effective hemostasis is needed.