A method for joining and holding closed a wound in bodily tissue, fastening junctions of wounds, tying off wounds, joining a foreign element to tissue, and altering the position of tissue using a barbed suture including sharp pointed ends. Each end of the suture includes barbs on that permit movement in an opposing direction to the barbs on the other end of the suture. This two-way barbed suture is used by the method of the present invention in applications including abdominal surgeries such as a Nissen fundoplication, laparoscopic uses such as stabilizing a bowel structure and performing a closure of a cystostomy, liver to bowel anastomosis, closure of an orifice of a Zenker's Diverticulum, endoscopic uses such as closure of ulcerative lesions or and post-procedural tissue defects, bladder wound closure, valve replacement surgery, device attachment, cosmetic surgery, and blood vessel wound closure.
1. A method of mounting a device to an internal organ of a subject, the device including at least one eyelet for securing the device and through which a suture may pass, using a barbed suture including an elongated body, first and second sharp pointed distal ends for penetrating tissue, and a plurality of barbs extending from the periphery of the body, the barbs on a first portion of the body between the first end of the suture and a first axial location on the body for permitting movement of the suture through the tissue in a direction of movement of the first end and preventing movement of the suture relative to the tissue in a direction opposite the direction of movement of the first end, and the barbs on a second portion of the body between the second end of the suture and a second axial location on the body which is less than the distance from the second end to the first axial location permitting movement of the suture through the tissue in a direction of movement of the second end and preventing movement of the suture relative to the tissue in a direction opposite the direction of movement of the second end, the method comprising the steps of: (a) placing the device in a desired position on an internal organ of the subject's body, where the internal organ is selected from liver, gall bladder, bowel and stomach; (b) threading-the first pointed end of the suture through one eyelet; (c) inserting the first pointed end of the suture into tissue of the internal organ; (d) pushing the first end of the suture through the tissue until the first end of the suture extends out of the tissue at an exit point; (e) gripping the first end of the suture and pulling the first end out of the tissue while drawing the first portion of the suture through the tissue, leaving a portion of the suture between the first and second axial locations out of the tissue and leaving a length of the first portion of the suture in the tissue between the point of insertion and exit point of the first end; (f) after steps (a)-(e), inserting the second pointed end of the suture into tissue of the internal organ; (g) pushing the second end of the suture through the tissue until the second end of the suture extends out of the tissue at an exit point, leaving a portion of the suture between the first and second axial locations out of the tissue; and (h) gripping the second end of the suture and pulling the second end out of the tissue while drawing the second portion of the suture through the tissue until the device is mounted on the internal organ of the subject's body, and leaving a length of the second portion of the suture in the tissue of the internal organ between the point of insertion and exit point of the second end; wherein the first and second portions of the suture extend in the tissue in generally opposing directions and cause the suture to resist displacement of the device away from the internal organ.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein at least one of the first and second sutures is inserted in a curvilinear path.