Reduction in drain-related adverse events using the barbed suture method for chest tube wound closure

A chest tube is usually placed in patients undergoing general thoracic surgery. Although the barbed suture method has been introduced for chest tube wound closure, its superiority to the conventional suture methods for drain management remains unclear. The study aimed to determine whether the barbed suture method could reduce drain-related adverse events compared to the conventional method.

We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of patients who underwent general thoracic surgery between January 2021 and December 2022, 1 year before and after the introduction of the barbed suture method at our institution. Patients who underwent the barbed suture or conventional method were included. Univariate and multivariate analyses of drain-related adverse events were performed.

Of the 250 participants, 110 and 140 underwent the barbed suture method and conventional suture method, respectively. The univariate analysis showed that a higher body mass index, preoperative malignant diagnosis, lobectomy, longer operative time, larger tube size, longer chest drainage duration, surgical complications, and conventional method were risk factors for drain-related adverse events. The multivariate analysis showed that the barbed suture method was a protective factor against drain-related adverse events (odds ratio 0.267; 95% confidence interval 0.103–0.691; P = 0.007).

The barbed suture method could reduce drain-related adverse events compared to the conventional method. Therefore, it might be a potential standard method for chest tube wound closure in patients undergoing general thoracic surgery.