What Is a Surgical Stapler?

Surgical staplers are medical devices designed for fast and precise closure of wounds or tissues during surgery. It operates similarly to a stapler, deploying multiple small metal staples at once to secure incision edges and promote tissue healing. The device typically consists of reusable or disposable components and is widely used in gastrointestinal surgeries, skin closures, and minimally invasive procedures.

It is usually composed of several key components:

· A handheld tool—Surgical staple gun—for precise staple deployment;

· Surgical staples, which are small U-shaped pieces made of metal or absorbable material, used to fasten tissue.

Why use a surgical stapler instead of manual suturing?

The preference for surgical staplers over manual suturing lies mainly in their efficiency and clinical advantages:

· They significantly reduce operation time, especially for large or complex wounds;

· They provide more uniform suture tension, reducing the risk of tissue tearing or irregular healing;

· The metal staple design lowers infection rates, ensuring more reliable wound closure;

· They are easy to use, suitable for deep or hard-to-reach areas, and help alleviate surgeon fatigue.

In contrast, manual suturing is more time-consuming, subject to variation in individual skill, and more likely to result in complications or longer recovery times. In scenarios requiring fast and high-precision closure, surgical staplers have become a standard tool in modern surgery.

Applications of Surgical Staplers

Surgical staplers are widely used in both internal and external procedures, tailored for different tissue closure needs:

Internal use:

Primarily for closing body cavities or deep tissues, such as:

· Gastrointestinal surgeries (e.g., anastomosis after bowel resection)

· Lung resections or lobectomies

· Vascular stump closure

· Gynecological surgeries (e.g., hysterectomy, cesarean section closure)

· Tissue stapling in laparoscopic and minimally invasive surgeries

External use:

For fast closure of skin incisions or traumatic wounds, including:

· Skin incisions in open surgeries (e.g., thoracotomy, laparotomy)

· Temporary closure of traumatic lacerations in emergency settings

· Graft fixation in skin transplant surgeries

· Efficient management of large-area wounds (e.g., after burn debridement)

Types of Surgical Staplers

Surgical staplers are categorized by structure, function, and application area into several main types:

Circular Staplers

Used for reconstructing continuity of circular organs, such as esophagus to stomach or bowel end-to-end anastomosis. The dual circular staple row ensures tight tissue approximation, reducing the risk of anastomotic leakage. Commonly used in gastrointestinal reconstruction.

Circumcision Staplers

· Without visiable window: Standard design for rapid cutting and stapling in circumcision procedures.

· With visiable window: Includes a transparent observation window, allowing the surgeon to directly confirm the cutting range and avoid damage to key structures.

Endo Cutter Staplers

Designed for minimally invasive laparoscopic procedures, equipped with flexible shafts and rotating cartridges to enable dissection and closure in narrow body cavities.

Curved Cutter Staplers

The unique curved structure conforms to anatomical curvature, suitable for precise dissection and stapling in deep curved regions like the pelvis and diaphragmatic liver surface.

Hemorrhoids Staplers

Specifically designed for rectal and anal canal surgeries, with a built-in circular blade for complete lesion removal followed by automatic stump anastomosis. Suitable for low rectal anastomosis and transanal minimally invasive procedures.

Opt-removal Hemorrhoids Staplers

Uses vacuum suction to position hemorrhoid tissue, selectively stapling the vascular pedicle while repositioning mucosa, preserving normal anal cushion structure to the greatest extent.

Disposable Linear Staplers

Used for linear tissue stump closure, such as reinforcing vascular stumps or staple lines in gastrointestinal surgeries.

Disposable Linear Cutter Staplers

Combines cutting blade with double staple rows. One operation simultaneously cuts and seals tissue, widely used for parenchymal separation in lung surgeries.

Disposable Skin Staplers

Used for rapid skin layer approximation, reducing suture tension–induced scar formation. Ideal for emergency trauma and orthopedic surgeries.

Key Accessories

· Surgical Staple Remover: A specialized tool to gently remove surgical staples, avoiding tissue tearing caused by forceful prying.

· Disposable Wound Protector: Elastic ring device that isolates wound edges, maintains minimally invasive access, and prevents contamination spread.

· Disposable Trocar: Establishes an initial laparoscopic access channel with a sealed cannula system, integrated with a safety shield to prevent injury to deep organs.

Common Uses of Surgical Staplers

1. Wound Closure

Widely applied in open trauma, surgical incisions, and ulcer repair. Metal staples quickly approximate skin flaps, evenly distributing tension to reduce ischemia risk—especially beneficial for high-tension areas or diabetic patient incisions.

2. Gastrointestinal Anastomosis

Used for functional reconstruction between stomach and intestine or between bowel loops. Circular staplers provide 360-degree staple closure. Mechanical anastomosis ensures continuity of the digestive tract and adequate lumen diameter, minimizing complications like stenosis or leakage compared to manual suturing.

3. Lung Resections

Linear cutting staplers simultaneously separate lung parenchyma and close bronchial stumps. The triple staggered staple lines seal both sides of the cut, effectively preventing air leaks and bronchial fistulas. Suitable for lobectomies and lung volume reduction surgery.

4. Hepatic and Pancreatic Surgery

For hepatic resection, curved staplers match organ contour, minimizing damage to portal structures. In pancreatic surgeries, precise closure of pancreatic ducts using absorbable staples reduces the risk of postoperative pancreatic fistulas.

5. Urological Surgeries

Used for bladder wall reconstruction after partial cystectomy, leak-proof stapling ensures low-pressure sealing. In partial nephrectomy, the collecting system is quickly closed and combined with hemostatic materials to enhance renal parenchyma repair efficiency.

6. Colorectal Surgeries

Sphincter-preserving procedures for low rectal cancer rely on anorectal staplers to safely anastomose bowel segments below the peritoneal reflection. Selective hemorrhoid staplers integrate mucosal resection and vascular pedicle ligation in a single operation.

7. Dermatologic and Cosmetic Surgery

Skin staplers reduce flap suturing time, and precise stapling lowers scar hypertrophy risk. In flap graft surgeries, they secure donor skin to the recipient site, maintain epidermal tension, and promote aesthetic healing.

Advantages of Surgical Staplers in Modern Medicine

1. Faster Operations

Mechanical actuation replaces manual suturing, significantly reducing closure and anastomosis time. A single trigger deploys multiple precise staples, cutting nearly half the time needed in complex gastrointestinal reconstructions.

2. Reduced Blood Loss

Staples immediately compress vascular ends, achieving hemostasis at the cutting site. Especially effective in high-blood-supply areas like liver transections or splenic hilum, reducing intraoperative bleeding by over 30%.

3. Lower Infection Risk

Standardized instrumentation minimizes wound exposure time. Sterile pre-packaged components prevent bacterial contact. Mechanized stapling reduces manual intervention, limiting nosocomial infection transmission.

4. Uniform Staple Formation

Constant firing force ensures consistent staple depth and curvature, forming standard “B”-shaped closure rings. Even staple line pressure prevents localized ischemic necrosis, promoting primary healing of gastrointestinal anastomoses.

5. Minimally Invasive Options

Long slender shafts allow deep procedures via small access ports. Smaller incisions reduce tissue trauma, speeding patient recovery. In combination with endoscopic techniques, staplers support the shift toward less invasive surgical approaches.

Tips for Choosing Surgical Staplers

Understand Surgical Requirements

Clarify anatomical parameters such as tissue thickness, anastomosis site, and depth. Deep pelvic operations require curved instruments, while tubular organ reconstruction needs circular staplers to ensure functional compatibility.

Evaluate Staple Size and Type

Tissue thickness determines staple leg closure height. Stainless steel staples are preferred for vascular-rich areas for hemostasis, while absorbable anti-leak staples are suitable for mucosal repairs. Maintain correct compression-to-staple height ratios to ensure perfusion.

Consider Surgical Specialization

Gastrointestinal surgeries require dual-row staples for leak prevention; thoracic procedures rely on triple-row bronchial sealing systems; flap transplants need low-trauma, precision skin staplers. Specialty-specific devices address unique risks.

Assess Operability

Narrow surgical fields demand slim laparoscopic instruments with >45° articulation flexibility. Single-hand actuation designs reduce surgeon fatigue. Ergonomic considerations directly affect precision in deep tissue stapling.

Check Safety Features 

Confirm tissue-locking mechanisms before firing, and ensure visual or tactile feedback systems prevent misfiring. Reusable devices should have self-check protocols; disposable sterile packs are essential for minimally invasive safety.

Conclusion

As a core technological innovation in modern surgery, surgical staplers enhance procedural safety and efficiency through standardized mechanical operations. Their high compatibility with varying anatomical structures enables precise implementation of complex reconstructions and minimally invasive techniques.

Medical suppliers play a pivotal role—especially in stapler adaptation. CN MEDITECH, with its strong integration capabilities of top global brands, offers comprehensive solutions from basic skin closures to complex laparoscopic anastomoses.

Its value is realized through three dimensions:

-- Accurately matching procedural requirements across specialties;

-- Strictly controlling instrument transport and sterilization safety chains;

-- Dynamically optimizing product portfolios based on surgeon habits.