Barbed suture

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Barbed sutures are knotless stitches with tiny barbs along their surface. The barbs grip tissue as you sew, so knots aren’t needed. They’re mainly used in cosmetic surgery and have grown popular in minimally invasive and laparoscopic procedures because they can save time and boost efficiency. However, safety data is limited, and there are concerns about adverse events in some procedures. When using barbed sutures, they should be handled carefully in inframesocolic areas, and the cut end should be buried to prevent catching the small bowel or its mesentery, which could cause a small bowel obstruction after surgery. In animal studies, Barbed Glycomer™ 631 showed stronger bonding, no complications, and better suture retention than V-LOC™ 90 Absorbable Wound Closure Device.