Surgical staples are common medical devices used to close surgical incisions or wounds and to join tissues internally. They offer a faster, more precise alternative to traditional hand-sewn sutures, significantly reducing the time a patient spends in the operating room. Staples are deployed from a specialized device that simultaneously forms and places the metallic or polymer fastener into the tissue. The specific shape and material depend on whether the staple is used on the skin surface or deep inside the body.
External Skin Staples
The staples placed on the skin’s surface are the type most people are familiar with and are designed for temporary wound closure. When in place, the staples appear as small, rectangular metal bars spanning the incision line. This robust design effectively holds the edges of larger or high-tension wounds together until the skin heals underneath.
These skin fasteners are applied using a handheld, disposable stapler that looks very different from an office stapler. The device quickly and cleanly inserts the staple, which is typically made of surgical-grade stainless steel. The resulting wound closure consists of a row of small, box-shaped staples placed at regular intervals along the incision.
Internal Staples and Their Forms
Staples used inside the body for procedures like bowel resection or bariatric surgery look significantly different from their external counterparts. These internal fasteners are designed not only to hold tissues together but also to create a secure, leak-proof seal. The staples themselves are generally smaller and are shaped into a distinct “B” form after deployment.
Internal staplers come in various configurations, which dictates the pattern of the staples they leave behind. Linear staplers place two or three parallel, staggered rows of B-shaped staples to divide tissue or create a long seal. Circular staplers join the ends of two hollow structures, such as after removing a section of the intestine, leaving a circular ring of tiny staples known as an anastomosis. These devices often incorporate a cutting blade that trims excess tissue as the staples are fired, completing the division and sealing process in one action.
Materials and Permanence
The composition of a surgical staple determines its permanence and long-term interaction with the body. Most permanent staples, particularly those used internally, are made from non-ferrous metals like titanium or medical-grade stainless steel. Titanium is a preferred material for internal use because it is highly biocompatible and causes minimal reaction with the immune system.
These permanent metal staples are not removed and are safe for a patient undergoing a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan. Because the metal is non-ferromagnetic or weakly magnetic, the risk of heating or displacement during the scan is negligible, though they may cause minor imaging artifacts.
In contrast, absorbable staples are made from polymers like polyglycolic acid. These polymer staples provide temporary support and are slowly broken down and absorbed by the body over several weeks or months, eliminating the need for removal. External skin staples, however, must be removed once the wound has healed, typically after five to ten days. This is done with a specialized staple remover tool that slips under the staple’s bar and deforms it into an “M” shape, allowing it to be lifted cleanly from the skin.