As with any type of incision closure, there are possible side effects to surgical staples.
Surgical staples are used to close and connect wounds after surgery. They are a more modern technique than the traditional suture. The staples are made of stainless steel or titanium. They are often used for specific types of closures and as with any incision, there are possible side effects.
Placement of Staples
Surgical staples are typically used for closing lacerations on the scalp area or closing the outer layers of skin after various types of surgeries. There are certain parts of the body where staples can’t be used. They cannot be used on the hands, face and anywhere near the nerves of the tendons.
Absorbable Sutures
There are two types of sutures. Absorbable sutures never have to be removed, as they dissolve through the body within two months. These types of sutures are often used for closing deep incisions or inside the mouth area.
Nonabsorbable Sutures
Nonabsorbable sutures must be removed after the incision has healed. These types of sutures are used to close incisions on the outer layers of the skin. They are removed after seven to 10 days of surgery or closing superficial cuts. As for surgical staples, they are also removed after seven to 10 days, as well.
Infection and Scarring
Just as with any incision, there is always a risk of infection. In most cases, staples are less likely to cause infections than sutures. The down side is that they often lead to more scarring. This also depends on how well the staples are aligned.
Orthopedic Surgery
Staples are often used for joint and hip surgery. According to an article called Metal Surgical Staple Safety Evaluated written by Jackie Parks, researchers came to the conclusion that even though the overall risk of infection is greater with sutures than with staples, there are certain surgeries where staples may have a higher risk of infection. The statistics showed that with orthopedic surgery, the risk of developing an infection was four times higher with staple closures than with sutures. However, this statistic only pertains to certain orthopedic surgeries.
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