title: Bidirectional barbed suture in total laparoscopic hysterectomy and lymph node dissection for endometrial cancer: technical evaluation and 1-year follow-up of 61 patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This randomized clinical study compared the feasibility and safety of the shortest suture for bidirectional knotless barbed versus standard sutures, with either extracorporeal or intracorporeal knots, for vaginal cuff closure following total laparoscopic hysterectomy (TLH) and lymph node dissection for early endometrial cancer.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study design was Canadian Task Force Classification I. In tertiary-care university-based teaching hospitals, 61 women underwent TLH and lymph node dissection. In accord with randomization, the vaginal cuff in TLH was closed with either extracorporeal or intracorporeal knots (1-Monocryl(®); Ethicon Inc., Somerville, NJ) and a bidirectional knotless barbed suture (0-Quill™; Angiotech Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Vancouver, BC, Canada). All patients were evaluated at 3-month, 6-month, and 1-year follow-up.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Time required to suture was significantly lower in the group treated with bidirectional suture than in groups with traditional sutures (P<.001). No significant difference was observed in the operative time between the study groups. The degree of surgical difficulty was significantly lower in the bidirectional barbed suture group than in the other groups. At 1-year follow-up all patients presented no wound dehiscence, no bleeding, dyspareunia, and other potential major complications such as ureteric, bladder, or bowel injury.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Use of a barbed suture reduces the time required to repair the vaginal cuff during TLH. At follow-up of patients, carried out 3 months, 6 months, and 1 year after the surgery, no wound dehiscence, no bleeding, or no other potential major surgical complications had occurred.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gynaecology, Obstetrics, and Reproductive Science, Second University of Naples, Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: Mario
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ardovino
authors.forename: Maria Antonietta
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Castaldi
authors.forename: Fernando
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Fraternali
authors.forename: Italo
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Ardovino
authors.forename: Lavinia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Mosca
authors.forename: Nicola
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Colacurci
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Signoriello
authors.forename: Luigi
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Cobellis
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D016889:Endometrial Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery*; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007044:Hysterectomy / Q000379:methods*; D010535:Laparoscopy / Q000379:methods*; D008197:Lymph Node Excision / Q000379:methods*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013536:Suture Techniques / Q000009:adverse effects; D013997:Time Factors; D014594:Uterine Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery*