title: A multicenter randomized controlled trial comparing absorbable barbed sutures versus conventional absorbable sutures for dermal closure in open surgical procedures.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Barbed sutures were developed to reduce operative time and improve security of wound closure.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The authors compare absorbable barbed sutures (V-Loc, Covidien, Mansfield, Massachusetts) with conventional (smooth) absorbable sutures for soft tissue approximation.
  
  
  METHODS
  A prospective multicenter randomized study comparing barbed sutures with smooth sutures was undertaken between August 13, 2009, and January 31, 2010, in 241 patients undergoing abdominoplasty, mastopexy, and reduction mammaplasty. Each patient received barbed sutures on 1 side of the body, with deep dermal sutures eliminated or reduced. Smooth sutures with deep dermal and subcuticular closure were used on the other side as a control. The primary endpoint was dermal closure time. Safety was assessed through adverse event reporting through a 12-week follow-up.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 229 patients were ultimately treated (115 with slow-absorbing polymer and 114 with rapid-absorbing polymer). Mean dermal closure time was significantly quicker with the barbed suture compared with the smooth suture (12.0 vs 19.2 minutes; P<.001), primarily due to the need for fewer deep dermal sutures. The rapid-absorbing barbed suture showed a complication profile equivalent to the smooth suture, while the slow-absorbing barbed suture had a higher incidence of minor suture extrusion.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Barbed sutures enabled faster dermal closure quicker than smooth sutures, with a comparable complication profile.
  
  
  METHODS
  1.
authors.affiliation: Dr Rubin is the chair of the Department of Plastic Surgery, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
authors.forename: J Peter
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Rubin
authors.forename: Joseph P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Hunstad
authors.forename: Alain
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Polynice
authors.forename: Jeffrey A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Gusenoff
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Schoeller
authors.forename: Raymond
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Dunn
authors.forename: Klaus J
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Walgenbach
authors.forename: Juliana E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Hansen
mesh_terms: D061645:Abdominoplasty; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D004322:Drainage; D004867:Equipment Design; D004954:Esthetics; D006801:Humans; D016462:Mammaplasty; D008875:Middle Aged; D061646:Operative Time; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013537:Sutures; D058106:Wound Closure Techniques / Q000295:instrumentation*; D014945:Wound Healing; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: abdominal wound closure; absorbable barbed sutures; absorbable smooth sutures; body contouring; mammaplasty; sutures; wound closure techniques