. 2020 Feb 27;2(1):ojaa008. doi: 10.1093/asjof/ojaa008

Table 7.

Review of Studies Evaluating the Side Effects of Barbed Sutures

Study	No. of procedures using barbed sutures	Complications	Duration of follow-up
Rubin et al⁵	229 • 115 with slow-absorbing polymer (S) • 114 with rapid-absorbing polymer (R)	Overall complications 26.1% (S) and 16.7% (R) • Wound dehiscence in 1.7% (S) and 3.5% (R) • Hematoma in 2.6% (S) and 3.5% (R) • Seroma in 0% (S) and 1.8% (R) • Infection in 3.5% (S) and 1.8% (R) • Erythema in 0.9% (S and R) • Suture extrusion in 20% (S) and 8.8% (R)	12 weeks
Cortez et al¹⁹	298	Overall complications 25.2% • Wound dehiscence in 8.7% • Erythema in 7% • Infection in 6.7% • Seroma in 3.4% • Necrosis in 2.7% • Hematoma in 2.3%	>60 days
Shermak et al¹²	114	Overall complications 20.2% • Wound-healing problems in 14.9% • Hematoma in 2.6% • Seroma in 0.9% • Infection in 0.9% • Thromboembolism in 0.9%
Hurwitz et al¹³	546	Overall complications 39.2%	Up to 36 months
Lycka et al²⁰	350	• Ecchymosis in 47% • Bleeding in 46% • Swelling in 43% • Erythema in 14% • Discomfort in 14% • Asymmetry in 3% • Thread extrusion in 3%