Intestinal obstruction following use of laparoscopic barbed suture: A new complication with new material?

Abstract

Small bowel obstruction is a common pathology. Among the various etiologies, foreign material has been incriminated as a possible but uncommon cause. Recently, barbed suture has been successfully introduced in various surgical fields and has been reported as safe as standard suture. We report herein a case of intestinal obstruction due to the laparoscopic use of barbed suture during a promontofixation. Barbed suture has the risk of entrapping the small bowel. The surgeon should keep in mind this hypothetical problem and a high index of suspicion is needed to diagnose and treat quickly this potentially severe complication.

Key words::

• Laparoscopy
• small bowel
• promontofixation
• obstruction
• barbed suture

Declaration of interest: The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the paper.