Delayed small bowel obstruction after robotic-assisted sacrocolpopexy

We report 2 unusual cases of partial bowel obstruction resulting from adherence to a barbed suture presenting 3 to 4 weeks after robotic-assisted sacrocolpopexy for uterovaginal prolapse. Both patients underwent an uncomplicated robotic-assisted supracervical hysterectomy and sacrocolpopexy. Immediate postoperative recovery was uncomplicated. Three to four weeks after surgery, both patients presented with symptoms of nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain and were found to have small bowel obstructions requiring a return to the operating room. Upon surgical exploration, a loop of small bowel was found to be adhered to a segment of the barbed suture at the sacral promontory, which had been used to close the peritoneum over the mesh. Subsequent to release, both patients had an uneventful recovery.