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.