1 | INTRODUCTION
Repair of oral/oropharyngeal defects after transoral resection of oral cavity cancer is a critical step to prevent complications such as fistula, infection, and delayed adjuvant therapy.1 Interrupted suturing has been used as the standard wound closure technique in these areas. However, there are often time-consuming difficulties in performing sutures in deep and narrow areas. The barbed suture with multiple ahcnhors is an antibacterial, monofilament, absorbable suture. The barbed knotless suture without tying could reduce the operation time and close the wound with appropriate and consistent tension. It has been used for laparoscopic and endoscopic surgery,2,3as well as in high-tension areas such as the uterus and abdominal wall.4,5Recently, various surgical fields have employed barded suture to achieve a shorter surgical time and secure closure with appropriate tension including in the nasal and oral cavities.6-9
In this study, we evaluated the efficacy of this device in closure of oral/oropharyngeal defects after transoral surgery for oral cavity cancer. We compared the suturing-time and suture-related complications between the barbed knotless continuous suture group and conventional interrupt knot tying suture group.