Background: Minimally invasive surgery is the preferred method for treating colorectal disease. Laparoscopic suturing is complex, and barbed sutures (BS) can improve the process by eliminating the need for surgical knots and constant traction on the suture line. This study compares intraoperative and postoperative outcomes in patients undergoing laparoscopic-assisted colorectal surgery (LCS) with anastomosis using BS and conventional sutures (CS). Methods: PubMed, Scopus and Cochrane Library were systematically searched for studies comparing BS to CS in patients undergoing LCS. Continuous outcomes were compared using mean differences (MDs), and odds ratios (ORs) were computed for binary endpoints with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Heterogeneity was assessed with I2 statistics. Statistical analysis was performed using Software R, version 4.2.3. Results: A total of four studies comprising 285 patients were included, of whom 143 patients (50.17%) underwent BS. Compared with CS, BS significantly reduced the total operative time (MD -16.25 minutes; 95% CI: -25.94, -6.56; P < .01; I2 = 0%). However, there were no significant differences between groups in the occurrence of intraoperative complications (OR .74; 95% CI: .26-2.12; P = .58; I2=0%), anastomotic leakage (OR 1.00; 95% CI: .14-7.26; P = 1.00), and Clavien-Dindo ≥III complications (OR 1.80; 95% CI: .41-7.95; P = .44, I2 = 0%). Conclusion: In this meta-analysis, BS significantly reduced the operative time in the anastomotic closure compared to CS in LCS. Furthermore, there were no significant differences between the groups in anastomotic leakage, intraoperative complications, and severe postoperative complications.
Keywords: anastomotic leakage; barbed suture; colon anastomosis; laparoscopic-assisted colectomy.