What Is Surgical Stapler All About?

[Abhilash Rathore]

Once you the endoscopic surgery ends, doctors use varied mechanical staplers for ensuring there are no aftereffects of the surgery such as bleeding, pain, or infection. One such technique is surgical staples. They are used to close the incision once the surgery completes. Staples are a better option in many cases than stitches or sutures.

Unlike stitches, surgical stapler does not dissolve as your wound heals. For this purpose, they need special care and should be removed by the doctor once the incision heals.

How long do they need to remain in the body?

Surgical staples need to stay in the body for at least 21 days before they get removed. Also, it largely depends on where they get placed. The other factors include –

• The size and direction of the incision
• Type of surgery
• Complexity and severity of the incision
• How soon the area heals

For instance, once done with C-section, mechanical staplers were used to close low transverse and were removed after three to four days. But the ones used for vertical incision were not removable for maybe seven to 10 days or more.

How to know when to remove these staplers?

The indicators to know when to remove surgical staplers are –

• When the wounded area has healed well, and staples are not needed anymore.
• There is no pus, fluid, or blood drainage in the area.
• There are no infections or risks.

Can you remove them at home?

Never try to remove the surgical stapler at home. It is imperative to have a licensed professional for removing the same. The doctor follows unique protocols and tools to remove the staples without causing complications safely.

What is the process to remove them?

The exact process of the removal varies from doctor to doctor. It depends on the following factors –

• Where the staples are in the body
• What kind of surgery you had
• If they are inside or outside the body

The removal process includes –

• Remove any wound dressing or other materials covering the area
• Study for the abnormal symptoms or issue with the wound appearance
• Clean and sterilise the entire wounded area with antiseptics
• Slide the lower portion of the stapler tool underneath the outermost staple on either side of the stapled area
• Wiggle the stapler gently side to side until it comes out from the skin
• Repeat the steps four and six on every second staple until the end of incision gets reached. It is not possible to remove staples at a go if the area is not completely healed
• Remove the remaining staples

Some staples could stay in your body forever. This is because the internal organ issues need to stay connected and resists further damage.

When do they get used?

Doctors use a surgical stapler for closing the surgical incision or wound, which are too big or complex along with traditional stitches. Staples decrease the time needed to complete a complicated surgery and can be less painful.

Staples are simple, healthy and speedy for closing large wounded areas and ideal for major surgeries. For instance, they come handy during C-section and reduces the scar appearance also.