Why are staples used in surgery?
Staplers have been used in abdominal surgery for the past 30 years, and there are few gastrointestinal operations done without them. They make a more precise connection than suturing alone. In the Roux-en-Y gastric bypass, a special type of cutting stapler is used when the stomach is completely divided to create the stomach pouch. It is also used to divide the small intestine. Compared to old-fashioned methods, the use of the cutting stapler allows fast, clean and precise division of the stomach and intestine. As healing progresses over the three to four week period after your surgery, tissue grows over the staples. They are there permanently and will show up on an x-ray, but they play no significant role in the long-term outcome of the operation, nor are they associated with significant ill effects. (This is not to be confused with the “vertical banded gastroplasty,” commonly called “stomach stapling”, which uses staples in a far different manner.
Staplers have been used in abdominal surgery for the past 30 years, and there are few gastrointestinal operations done without them. In the Roux-en-Y gastric bypass, a special type of cutting stapler is used when the stomach is completely divided to create the stomach pouch. It is also used to divide the small intestine. Compared to old-fashioned methods, the use of the cutting stapler allows fast, clean and precise division of the stomach and intestine. Each cut staple line is then reinforced with sutures. As healing progresses over the three to four week period after your surgery, tissue grows over the staples. They are there permanently and will show up on an x-ray, but they play no roles in the long-term outcome of the operation, nor are they associated with any ill effects. This is not to be confused with the operation commonly called “stomach stapling”, which uses staples in a far different manner. Internal staples are not removed. Talk with your surgeon if you have any questions
