ARDvark Blog Journal of Adhesion Related Disorder: Small bowel obstruction due to laparoscopic barbed sutures: an unknown complication?

ARDvark Blog Journal of Adhesion Related Disorder: Small bowel obstruction due to laparoscopic barbed sutures: an unknown complication?

Barbed Sutures in Minimally Invasive Gynecologic Surgery.

Mikhail E¹, Wyman A¹, Hahn L¹, Hart S².

Author information

• ¹Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of South Florida/Morsani College of Medicine, Tampa, Florida.
• ²Division of Female Pelvic Medicine and, Reconstructive Surgery, USF Health Center for Advanced Medical Learning and Simulation (CAMLS), University of South Florida/Morsani College of Medicine, Tampa, Florida.

Abstract

The introduction of knotless barbed suture into the surgical market has decreased the challenges of laparoscopic suturing. Since its introduction, barbed suture has gained popularity in the field of minimally invasive gynecologic surgery and is now commonly used to close the vaginal cuff in total laparoscopic hysterectomy, to re-approximate the myometrium after laparoscopic myomectomy, and to shorten the procedure time during a laparoscopic sacrocolpopexy. Barbed sutures facilitate rapid and consistent wound closure, allowing for equal distribution of tissue tension across the suture line, and thereby providing a more secure wound closure. The most commonly encountered complication after the use of barbed sutures is postoperative bowel obstruction. Proposed methods to decrease the likelihood of this complication include ensuring that the ends of the barbed suture are either buried, over-sewn, or cut flush with the tissue.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27175817