The use of barbed suture for bladder and bowel repair

STUDY OBJECTIVE: To describe the laparoscopic repair of bladder and bowel injuries using barbed suture and review postoperative outcomes. DESIGN: Retrospective medical chart review (Canadian Task Force classification II-3). SETTING: Large academic medical institution. PATIENTS: Thirty-three women who underwent laparoscopic repair of the bladder and/or bowel wall using barbed suture between January 2009 and July 2013. INTERVENTION: Not applicable. MEASUREMENT AND MAIN RESULTS: The patients underwent a total of 9 cystotomies (27.3%), 7 enterotomies (21.2%), 4 bladder seromuscular injuries (12.1%), 12 bowel seromuscular injuries (36.4%), and 1 bladder and bowel seromuscular injury (3.0%). Of the 33 injuries, 17 (51.5%) were intentional in the setting of bladder or bowel endometriosis nodule excision, whereas the other 16 (48.5%) were accidental and occurred at the time of lysis of adhesions. Thirteen of 14 bladder injuries (92.9%) were at the dome, and 1 injury (7.1%) was at the trigone. Fifteen of 20 bowel injuries (75%) were rectal, 3 (15%) were on the colon, and 2 (10%) were on the small intestine. Cystotomies ranged in length from 1 to 5 cm, and enterotomies ranged from 1.5 to 6 cm. All bladder and bowel seromuscular injuries were repaired using a single layer of barbed suture. Twelve full-thickness bladder or bowel wall defects (75%) were repaired using 2 layers of barbed suture, and 4 defects (25%) were repaired using a layer of barbed suture and a layer of a running or interrupted smooth delayed absorbable suture. Duration of follow-up ranged from 1 month to 15 months. There were no major complications. Only 1 patient who had undergone a large enterotomy repair developed constipation secondary to a mild rectal stricture diagnosed 3 months postoperatively. Symptoms of constipation since resolved spontaneously in that patient. CONCLUSION: Barbed suture provides adequate tension-free bladder and bowel repair. No major complications have been encountered; therefore, the use of barbed suture for the repair of bladder or bowel defects seems feasible and safe.