This invention relates to a barbed suture for connecting human or animal tissue in combination with a surgical needle, said combination comprising a barbed suture attached to a surgical needle, wherein the suture comprises a plurality of barbs projecting from an elongated body having a first end and a diameter, each barb facing in a direction and being adapted for resisting movement of the suture when in tissue, in an opposite direction from the direction in which the barb faces, characterized in that the elongated has a non-circular diameter and the surgical needle has a diameter with a ratio of the surgical needle diameter to the barbed suture diameter of about 3:1 or less.
