Barbed Suture in Total Laparoscopic Hysterectomy: A Comparative Study of the Safety in Vaginal Cuff Closure with that of Polyglactin 910 Suture

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate whether the use of barbed sutures during laparoscopic hysterectomy for vaginal cuff closure has reduced the surgical difficulty and incidence of post-operative complications as compared to polyglactin 910 suture. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This is a randomized comparative study conducted at a tertiary care hospital and research institute where 100 patients were divided into two groups (50 each) and underwent vault closure using barbed suture/Polyglactin 910. Data collected include demographic details, indication for surgery, mean suturing time, degree of surgeon difficulty, and the incidence of postoperative complications when followed up to 12 weeks and were compared statistically using Chi square test and Independent-t test. RESULTS: The use of barbed suture has significantly reduced the suturing time (5.39 min vs. 6.9 min, P < 0.0001) and surgical difficulty. The incidence of minor complications is similar to that of polyglactin 910. There were no cases of vaginal cuff dehiscence or bowel obstruction reported in our study. CONCLUSION: With the advantages of reduced suturing time and technical difficulty, and incidence of complications similar to conventional suture material, barbed sutures are to be considered as an excellent alternative to conventional suture materials.