title: The unidirectional barbed suture for renorrhaphy during laparoscopic partial nephrectomy: Stanford experience.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Using barbed suture represents a novel technical modification in the performance of minimally invasive partial nephrectomy. Our purpose of this study was to evaluate the safety and efficacy of this suture for renorrhaphy during laparoscopic partial nephrectomy (LPN).
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirteen consecutive patients underwent LPN using V-Loc™ 180 (Covidien, Dublin, Ireland) suture, and a nonconsecutive control group of 24 patients, matched according to tumor size and R.E.N.A.L. nephrometry score, underwent LPN using absorbable polyglactin suture. All 37 patients underwent LPN performed by a single surgeon. Perioperative and postoperative indicators of morbidity, estimated blood loss, and warm ischemia time (WIT) were compared between the groups.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Baseline characteristics including age, body mass index, American Society of Anesthesiologists score, tumor size, laterality, and R.E.N.A.L nephrometry score were identical between the groups. On multivariable analysis, there were no significant differences between the two groups with regard to operative time, estimated blood loss, transfusion rates, rates of surgical complications, and length of hospital stay. However, mean WIT was significantly shorter in the V-Loc group compared with the control group (24.5±5.3 minutes versus 31.9±8.9 minutes, P=.01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The use of V-Loc sutures for renorrhaphy during LPN is safe and feasible and, in our series, significantly reduces WIT. Further studies are needed to corroborate these findings, but these results indicate a promising development in reducing WIT during minimally invasive partial nephrectomy.
authors: Department of Urology, School of Medicine, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, Korea.
authors: Seung Hyun
authors: SH
authors: Jeon
authors: Saebin
authors: S
authors: Jung
authors: Hee-Seo
authors: HS
authors: Son
authors: Simon Y
authors: SY
authors: Kimm
authors: Benjamin I
authors: BI
authors: Chung
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007668:Kidney / Q000601:surgery*; D010535:Laparoscopy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009392:Nephrectomy / Q000379:methods*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013536:Suture Techniques