Comparison of Knotless Barbed Suture Versus Monofilament Suture in the Oral Cavity of Cats

The present study compares a knotless, barbed, absorbable suture material against a conventional monofilament absorbable suture material in oral mucosal wound closure. The parameters measured include time of closure and differences in healing at 2 and 4 weeks postoperatively. A prospective study comparing a knotless, barbed suture system with conventional absorbable sutures was undertaken in 19 cats. Nineteen cats had full mouth extractions performed. Following the extraction procedures, the incisions in the arcades (maxillary and mandibular) were apposed with the barbed, knotless suture system in a continuous pattern on one side and with a conventional smooth suture in an interrupted pattern on the other. Suturing times for each arcade were recorded. The material used to close the first side of each cat varied. Healing, dehiscence, and other complications were assessed at 2 and 4 weeks postoperatively. The average closure time (+/- standard deviation) per quadrant with conventional monofilament suture was 8.7 (+/- 1.3) minutes, while barbed suture required an average of 5.1 (+/- 1.1) minutes per quadrant to complete the suture. This difference (95% confidence interval) of 3.6 (+/- 3.2-4.1) minutes per quadrant was statistically significant (P < .001). Dehiscence and ranula-like swelling formation were noted as uncommon postoperative complications, but the differences were not significant between the groups. Barbed, knotless sutures resulted in faster closure times than conventional, simple interrupted, monofilament sutures with similar healing and complication rates. To the author's knowledge, there is no current literature comparing conventional absorbable monofilament sutures to a knotless, barbed, absorbable suture system for closure of oral mucosal incisions in cats.