2336 Unidirectional Barbed Versus Polyglactin 910 Suture for Laparoscopic Vaginal Cuff Closure - A Prospective Comparative Study

Abstract

Study Objective We compared the use of unidirectional barbed sutures and conventional vicryl sutures for vaginal cuff closure during total laparoscopic hysterectomy. The aim of our study is to evaluate whether the use of unidirectional barbed suture (V-Loc) for vaginal cuff closure is associated with a decrease in vault closure time, operative time, blood loss, and other intraoperative and postoperative complications compared to polyglactin 910 (Vicryl) in patients undergoing total laparoscopic hysterectomy for benign pathology. Design Prospective comparative study. Setting The study conducted at the department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology at AIIMS, Rishikesh from July 2018 to December 2018. Patients or Participants A total of 60 women participated in the study; 30-30 in each group. Interventions All 60 women underwent total laparoscopic hysterectomy due to benign pathology of uterus, vault closure was done with unidirectional barbed suture (v-Loc) in 30 women and with polyglactin 910 (vicryl) in another 30 patients. Measurements and Main Results The mean vault closure time was significantly less with barbed suture (8.84 min) than vicryl group (12.27 min). The mean number of stitches taken was more in barbed suture group (7.46) than vicryl group (7.09), though the difference was not statistically significant. No statistically significant differences were found in operative time, or postoperative outcomes, such as vaginal cuff dehiscence, infectious complications, and the presence of granulation tissue. Conclusion The efficacy and safety of unidirectional barbed suture is comparable to the conventional vicryl sutures. Barbed sutures can be safely used to reduce procedure time and surgical difficulty.