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BMC veterinary research2020; 16(1); 250; doi: 10.1186/s12917-020-02449-6

Bidirectional knotless barbed versus conventional smooth suture for closure of surgical wounds in inguinal castration in horses.

Abstract: Castration of the stallion is one of the most frequently performed surgical procedures in the horse. Recently barbed suture materials for surgical wound closure were introduced to the market with manufacturers claiming that these sutures enhance speed and security as they eliminate the need to tie knots. Recently, it has been suggested that this type of suture may increase postoperative complications. This study aimed at investigating and comparing a bidirectional absorbable knotless barbed suture (KBS) to a conventional smooth suture (SS) for wound closure of inguinal castrations in the horse. This was done by evaluating short-term and post-discharge complications and by comparing the time spent on suturing the surgical wounds after bilateral inguinal castration, which was performed on 45 horses undergoing castration at The Large Animal Teaching Hospital at University of Copenhagen from September 2017 to May 2019. Results: Short-term complications were few; at 24 h minor swelling occurred in 29 and 33% of horses sutured with KBS and SS respectively and cutaneous dehiscence during recovery occurred in two horses of each group. Post-discharge follow-up revealed that three horses needed veterinary attention for treatment of complications (scrotal swelling (n = 1, KBS); wound exudation (n = 1, SS) and wound dehiscence after return to pasture (n = 1, SS)). Wound closure was achieved 6 min faster with KBS than with SS (P < 0.0001). Conclusions: Use of the KBS suture did not result in increased occurrence of postoperative complications. Wound closure was faster with KBS than with SS in equine bilateral inguinal castration. Our results show that KBS can safely be used in the horse following bilateral inguinal castrations without adverse effects and with a reduction in suturing time.
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Publication Date: 2020-07-17 PubMed ID: 32680516PubMed Central: PMC7368766DOI: 10.1186/s12917-020-02449-6Google Scholar: Lookup
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  • Comparative Study
  • Journal Article

Summary

This research summary has been generated with artificial intelligence and may contain errors and omissions. Refer to the original study to confirm details provided. Submit correction.

This research compares the use of a knotless barbed suture to a conventional smooth suture for wound closure in equine castrations, finding that the barbed suture does not increase postoperative complications and reduces suturing time.

Objective of the Research

The goal of this study was to examine whether a new type of suture material – a bidirectional absorbable knotless barbed suture (KBS) – could improve outcomes and efficiency in castrations of stallions, compared to conventional smooth suture (SS). The researchers were testing manufacturer claims that this KBS is quicker to use and may be more secure, because it eliminates the requirement for tied knots.

Methodology

To achieve this objective,

  • The team carried out bilateral inguinal castration on 45 horses at the Large Animal Teaching Hospital at the University of Copenhagen between September 2017 and May 2019.
  • They monitored both short-term and post-discharge complications after the procedure to evaluate any impact of the suture material,
  • and analyzed the time taken to finish the suturing portion of the surgery.

Outcomes

The results showed short-term complications were minimal, whether KBS or SS was used:

  • Within 24 hours post-surgery, minor swelling was observed in about a third of horses irrespective of the type of suture used.
  • Furthermore, in both groups, two horses each showed cutaneous dehiscence (splitting along a natural or surgical seam) during recovery.

After discharge from the hospital,

  • Three horses needed veterinary care for treatment of complications such as scrotal swelling, wound exudation and wound dehiscence after returning to pasture.
  • It was found that KBS was able to close wounds six minutes faster than SS.

Conclusions

The use of a KBS did not lead to an increased number of postoperative complications, contradicting earlier suggestions that these kinds of sutures might add to complications. Importantly, the time saved with KBS compared to SS during the suturing procedure confirmed the manufacture’s claim about the improved efficiency. The researchers concluded that KBS can be used safely in horse castrations without increased risk and with a reduction in suturing time.

Cite This Article

APA
Adler DMT, Østergaard S, Jørgensen E, Jacobsen S. (2020). Bidirectional knotless barbed versus conventional smooth suture for closure of surgical wounds in inguinal castration in horses. BMC Vet Res, 16(1), 250. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12917-020-02449-6

Publication

BMC veterinary research
ISSN: 1746-6148
NlmUniqueID: 101249759
Country: England
Language: English
Volume: 16
Issue: 1
Pages: 250

Researcher Affiliations

Adler, Ditte Marie Top
  • Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Taastrup, Denmark. dima@sund.ku.dk.
Østergaard, Stine
  • Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Taastrup, Denmark.
Jørgensen, Elin
  • Department of Pharmacy, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
Jacobsen, Stine
  • Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Taastrup, Denmark.

MeSH Terms

  • Animals
  • Horses / surgery
  • Male
  • Operative Time
  • Orchiectomy / adverse effects
  • Orchiectomy / instrumentation
  • Orchiectomy / veterinary
  • Postoperative Complications / veterinary
  • Suture Techniques / veterinary
  • Sutures / veterinary

Conflict of Interest Statement

The authors declare no conflicts of interests.

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Citations

This article has been cited 3 times.
  1. Nappi F. Suture Materials: Conventional and Stimulatory-Responsive Absorbable Polymers with Biomimetic Function. Biomimetics (Basel) 2025 Sep 4;10(9).
    doi: 10.3390/biomimetics10090590pubmed: 41002824google scholar: lookup
  2. Tyle MR, Nester M, McLaughlin M, Olafson A, Le NK, Whalen K, Juybari C, Coughlin E, Mhaskar R, Smith PD, Dayicioglu D. Efficacy and Safety of Barbed Sutures for Capsulorrhaphy in Implant-Based Breast Reconstruction. Eplasty 2024;24:e50.
    pubmed: 39474008
  3. Vázquez FJ, Argüelles D, Muñoz JA, Genton M, Méndez Angulo JL, Climent F, Roquet I, Iglesias M, Velloso Álvarez A, Vitoria A, Bulnes F, Saitua A, Romero A, Ezquerra J, Prades M, López-Sanromán FJ, Rossignol F. Use of Knotless Barbed Sutures in Laparoscopic Inguinal Hernioplasty in Horses: 40 Cases. Animals (Basel) 2024 Jun 19;14(12).
    doi: 10.3390/ani14121826pubmed: 38929445google scholar: lookup
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