Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40849594›Full record

SynthesisSurgery today2026

Comparison between barbed and non-barbed sutures for fascial closure in abdominal surgery: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Akihisa Matsuda, Takeshi Yamada, Kay Uehara, Seiichi Shinji, Yasuyuki Yokoyama, Goro Takahashi, Takuma Iwai, Toshimitsu Miyasaka, Shintaro Kanaka, Takanori Matsui and 2 more

Abstract readSystematic ReviewMeta-AnalysisComparative Study
PubMed Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Surgery today, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

12 authors.

Akihisa MatsudaDepartment of Gastroenterological Surgery, Nippon Medical School, 1-1-5 Sendagi, Bunkyo-Ku, Tokyo, 113-8603, Japan. a-matsu@nms.ac.jp.
Takeshi YamadaDepartment of Gastroenterological Surgery, Nippon Medical School, 1-1-5 Sendagi, Bunkyo-Ku, Tokyo, 113-8603, Japan.
Kay UeharaDepartment of Gastroenterological Surgery, Nippon Medical School, 1-1-5 Sendagi, Bunkyo-Ku, Tokyo, 113-8603, Japan.
Seiichi ShinjiDepartment of Gastroenterological Surgery, Nippon Medical School, 1-1-5 Sendagi, Bunkyo-Ku, Tokyo, 113-8603, Japan.
Yasuyuki YokoyamaDepartment of Gastroenterological Surgery, Nippon Medical School, 1-1-5 Sendagi, Bunkyo-Ku, Tokyo, 113-8603, Japan.
Goro TakahashiDepartment of Gastroenterological Surgery, Nippon Medical School, 1-1-5 Sendagi, Bunkyo-Ku, Tokyo, 113-8603, Japan.
Takuma IwaiDepartment of Gastroenterological Surgery, Nippon Medical School, 1-1-5 Sendagi, Bunkyo-Ku, Tokyo, 113-8603, Japan.
Toshimitsu MiyasakaDepartment of Gastroenterological Surgery, Nippon Medical School, 1-1-5 Sendagi, Bunkyo-Ku, Tokyo, 113-8603, Japan.
Shintaro KanakaDepartment of Gastroenterological Surgery, Nippon Medical School, 1-1-5 Sendagi, Bunkyo-Ku, Tokyo, 113-8603, Japan.
Takanori MatsuiDepartment of Gastroenterological Surgery, Nippon Medical School, 1-1-5 Sendagi, Bunkyo-Ku, Tokyo, 113-8603, Japan.
Koki HayashiDepartment of Gastroenterological Surgery, Nippon Medical School, 1-1-5 Sendagi, Bunkyo-Ku, Tokyo, 113-8603, Japan.
Hiroshi YoshidaDepartment of Gastroenterological Surgery, Nippon Medical School, 1-1-5 Sendagi, Bunkyo-Ku, Tokyo, 113-8603, Japan.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeTo compare the safety and efficacy of barbed and non-barbed sutures for fascial closure in abdominal surgery.

methodsA systematic literature search through February 2025 identified studies comparing overall surgical site infections (SSI), fascial complications, and hospital stays between barbed and non-barbed sutures. A meta-analysis using random-effects models calculated odds ratios (ORs) or mean differences (MDs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs).

resultsSeven studies involving 12,278 patients (barbed group, n = 4912; non-barbed group, n = 7366) were included. The overall SSI rates were 1.9% and 4.0% in the barbed and non-barbed groups, respectively. Barbed sutures significantly reduced overall SSIs (OR, 0.41; 95% CI: 0.31-0.53; P < 0.001) without statistical heterogeneity. Barbed suture also significantly reduced the length of hospital stay (MD, - 1.13; 95% CI: - 1.42- - 0.83, P < 0.001) without statistical heterogeneity. No significant difference was observed in fascial complications between the groups (OR, 0.66; 95% CI: 0.36-1.22, P = 0.19).

conclusionsThis is the first meta-analysis to focus specifically on barbed sutures for abdominal fascial closure. Barbed sutures significantly reduce SSI and hospital stay without increasing fascial complications, thus suggesting that they are safe and efficient options for abdominal wall closure.

Indexed as

AbdomenAbdominal Wound Closure TechniquesFasciotomySuturesSuture TechniquesHumansLength of StayPostoperative ComplicationsSurgical Wound InfectionAbdominal surgeryBarbed sutureFascial closureMeta-analysisSurgical site infection

Identifiers

PMID40849594

What OpenQuestion holds

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.