The Role of Knotless Barbed Suture in Gynecologic Surgery: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Knotless barbed sutures are an innovative suturing material that can facilitate laparoendoscopic operations. The purpose of this study is to examine the available evidence on the application of barbed sutures on both laparoscopic and robotic operations in the field of gynecologic surgery. A systematic search was performed in PubMed, Scopus, and Cochrane databases. In total, 1991 patients were included in the study. The duration of closure with knotless suture ranged from 3.9 to 13 minutes, which was less than the use of conventional suture in every study. The duration of suturing was significantly less in the barbed suture group during hysterectomy, the mean difference between the observed groups was 2.41 minutes per operation (95% confidence interval, 1.23-3.59) whereas in myomectomy there was no statistically significant difference between compared groups. Concerning the estimated blood loss and the presence of major bleeding in hysterectomy, no statistical difference between the 2 groups was observed, while the estimated blood loss in myomectomy was found to be statistically significant (P = .04). Regarding the dehiscence of vaginal cuff in hysterectomy, no statistically significant difference was observed (1031 patients, odds ratio = 1.63; 95% confidence interval = 0.37-7.25). The complete absence of knots, the even distribution of tissue strength along the wound, and the reduction of operation time are the main advantages of this type of sutures. Additional clinical trials of higher methodological quality are necessary to further clarify suturing advantages and postoperative outcomes of the barbed sutures.