Surgical clips are small devices used in various medical procedures to seal blood vessels, ducts, or other tubular structures, and mark tissue. They provide a precise and efficient method for surgeons to manage bleeding and secure tissues, particularly in minimally invasive surgeries like laparoscopy. These clips offer an alternative to traditional suturing, allowing for quicker and less technically demanding application in confined spaces.
Metallic Surgical Clips
Metallic surgical clips are commonly made from materials like titanium or stainless steel. Titanium is widely used due to its exceptional biocompatibility, meaning it interacts well with the body’s tissues without causing adverse reactions. This metal is also corrosion-resistant and highly durable, maintaining integrity within the body. Titanium clips are non-magnetic, making them safe for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans, as they do not significantly interfere with imaging.
Stainless steel is another material used for metallic clips, valued for its strength, durability, and resistance to corrosion. Both titanium and stainless steel clips are radiopaque, meaning they are visible on X-rays and other imaging studies. This visibility helps confirm the clip’s placement after surgery or for follow-up examinations. These metallic clips provide a reliable and permanent solution for sealing vessels, offering immediate mechanical strength to ligate blood vessels.
Absorbable Surgical Clips
Absorbable surgical clips are designed from biocompatible polymers that gradually break down and are absorbed by the body. These materials eliminate the long-term presence of a foreign object within the body, which can be advantageous. Common polymers used for these clips include polyglycolic acid (PGA) and polylactic acid (PLA). The degradation process occurs through hydrolysis, where water in the body slowly breaks down the polymer structure.
This absorption can take several months to a year, depending on the specific polymer. For instance, polyglycolic acid can be absorbed within approximately 60 to 90 days, while some absorbable clips might take up to 7 months. A benefit of absorbable clips is their non-metallic nature, which reduces imaging artifacts on postoperative scans, leading to clearer images.
What Happens to Surgical Clips After Surgery?
After a surgical procedure, the fate of surgical clips depends on their material. Metallic clips, made from titanium or stainless steel, remain permanently within the body. These clips are inert and do not degrade or dissolve. They continue to provide long-term occlusion of the vessels or tissues they were applied to. The body tolerates these permanent implants well, with minimal long-term tissue reaction.
Absorbable clips, conversely, are temporary. They gradually lose strength and are broken down by the body’s natural processes, over a period ranging from a few weeks to several months. Once fully absorbed, no foreign material remains in the body. In most cases, surgical clips, whether metallic or absorbable, are not removed unless there are specific medical reasons, such as complications like migration, which are rare.