Barbed Dissolvable Sutures?

The barebed sutures do not require knots and theoretically, they could  diminish any reaction due to the decreased load of suture material. They are made of a material that takes longer to absorb than Monocryl

Monocryl is a great suture material. It is smooth and glides through the tissue without sawing through it, it is less infected that braided stitches (vicryl etc) and is well tolerated in most people.

BUT there is NO stitch material that does not come to the surface (IE "spit"). The BEST ways to avoid spitting stitches is to:
- bury the knots (IE place them upside down farther from the skin surface)
- use smooth, monofilament sutures NOT braided sutures (like Vicryl, silk  etc).
- make sure the wound is clean to minimize suture contamination resulting in spitting

The vast majority of Plastic surgeons these days use Monocryl (or a generic copy) to close wounds. I have used barbed sutures in the past and they have their advantages and disadvantages. I do NOT think they are superior to Monocryl in regards to spitting and in fact because of the barbs and their composition (PDS) which makes them last longer they may have a higher rate of spitting.

Good Luck.

Dr. Aldea