Why do Drs. use staples instead of stitches?!


Question: My wife recently had surgery. She has a very long incision from just below the sternum to the top of her pubic hair line. I saw the incision today from the first time with the dressinf removed and noticed the Dr. used staples. Why do they use staples instead of stitches?


Answers: My wife recently had surgery. She has a very long incision from just below the sternum to the top of her pubic hair line. I saw the incision today from the first time with the dressinf removed and noticed the Dr. used staples. Why do they use staples instead of stitches?

WELL HAVING JUST HAD A BABY BY C-SECTION 2 MONTHS AGO, AND HAVING HAD 32 STAPLES MYSELF..(14.5 INCH LONG INCISION) I ASKED MY DOC THE SAME THING, AND 1ST OF ALL IT IS FASTER. 2ND, IN SOME PLACES STITCHES ARE JUST NOT STRONG ENOUGH TO HOLD THE SKIN AND TISSUE TOGETHER. 3RD, WHEN IT IS A LARGE INCISION, STITCHES TEND TO LET AN INCISION GAP OPEN, WHERE AS STAPLES DO NOT. AND IN A CASE WHERE IT IS MAJOR SURGERY...LIKE YOUR WIFE'S I AM ASSUMING, CLOSING THE INCISION AS QUICKLY AND EFFICIENTLY AS POSSIBLE IS A MUST. BUT TELL HER DON'T WORRY, IT DOESN'T HURT TO HAVE THEM REMOVED! YOU HONESTLY DO NOT EVEN FEEL IT!! GOOD LUCK, AND GOD BLESS TO YOU AND YOUR WIFE! I HOPE SHE RECOVERS QUICKLY!!

They have to use staples in areas that would have a high risk of breaking open with stitches. Stitches are for smaller cuts or incisions.

Staples are easier to use in many cases; a large wound/incision can be closed more quickly which results in shorter time under anesthesia. They're also easier to remove. Staples are widely used in thoracic surgery, and in surgery on the extremities such as the arm or leg.

Staples also allow for good alignment of the wound edges and less tissue damage than sutures; also, staples are good and strong and cause less tissue reaction than sutures.

Staples aren't a great choice where meticulous tissue alignment is critical (such as on the face for cosmetic reasons).

A more recent development it the surgical clip. These aren't seeing wide use yet, but offer the advantage of not having to penetrate the skin. I imagine that they are to surgical staples what the butterfly closure bandage and glues are to traditional sutures... they will have their place and use just like any of the other options, but they won't be a total replacement. There will be a need for surgical staples even with clips, just as there remained a need for suture material after the development of adhesives and surgical glues.

Staples are easier to work with and they also hold together a lot stronger than the thin stitching thread.





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