Source:http://linkedlifedata.com/resource/umls/id/C1139751
UMD: Needles designed to pass a suture filament or fine wire underneath a blood vessel or to other tissues or body parts (e.g., tumor pedicle) to tie, bind, or partially strangulate it. These devices consist of a slender steel needle with a long handle and a curved end with an eye and a sharp or blunt tip appropriate to handle the ligatures. Ligature needles are available both for right and left handed surgeons. Stronger ligatures with a bigger diameter are usually manipulated using ligature passers (also known as ligature carriers).