Comparison of Unidirectional Barbed Suture Compared to Conventional Braided Suture at the Time of Cesarean Section

Background: The bidirectional barbed suture has been reported as effective as conventional suture in various soft-tissue closure sites.
The objective of this manuscript is to evaluate peri- and postoperative outcomes using a Unidirectional Barbed Suture (UBS) compared to
Conventional Braided Suture (CBS) at time of Cesarean section closure.
Methods: This retrospective study evaluated women (n=138) undergoing cesarean delivery with either UBS using the V-LocTM wound
closure device (Covidien) (n=106) or CBS (Vicryl®, Ethicon) (n=32) by a single practice. Outcomes measured included operative time;
estimated (EBL) and objective blood loss; hospital stay; and peri-, postoperative, and overall complications. Deliveries prior to 28 weeks
gestational age and women <18 years of age were excluded. Student’s t-test and chi-square were used for data analysis. A p-value <0.05 was
considered significant.
Results: Operative time for the UBS group was similar to the CBS group (35.0 min vs. 35.91 min; p=0.69), as was EBL (572 mL vs 625 mL,
p=0.51); change in hemoglobin (1.8 g/dL vs 1.7 g/dL, p=0.84); hospital stay (3.25d vs 3.19d, p=0.63); and overall complications (19.8%, n=21
vs 12%, n=4, p=0.35).
Conclusion: UBS is not inferior to CBS at the time of Cesarean section closure with respect to operative time, blood loss, or complications,
and may be considered as an adjunctive suture in the closure of the Cesarean incision given the equal safety and efficacy.