How to Use a Disposable Skin Stapler Correctly in Wound Closure

A disposable skin stapler is simple to use, but the manner in which it is held, fired and removed will determine if the wound closes cleanly or leaves an uneven scar. The instructions that come with the device cover the basics but some practical points are easy to forget until you have a staple that sits badly or the wound edges separate after closure.

Before the first staple is fired, the wound edges have to be cleaned and lined up. The disposable skin stapler is then held perpendicular to the skin with the incision centered between the prongs. This is an important alignment because the staple legs must enter the skin at an equal distance on either side of the wound. When the stapler is tilted, one leg is closer to the edge of the wound than the other, resulting in uneven closure. The surgeon squeezes the handle firmly and fully in one motion. Partial squeezing can lead to a staple that is not fully formed and thus, does not hold the tissue well.

The surgeon fires the device, releases the handle, and lifts the device counterclockwise away from the wound. The spring ejector of the stapler pulls the device away from the formed staple so that the surgeon can reposition the stapler to take the next staple without pulling on the edge of the wound. That's why you can fire it from all sorts of angles – the spring pops the staple out no matter which way you lift the stapler. Staples are placed at regular intervals along the cut until the wound is closed.

The disposable skin stapler is not indicated for all wounds. Do not use if the skin incision and underlying important tissue are less than 5mm apart, as the staple legs could damage structures below the skin. It is not intended for internal tissue closure or for patients known to be sensitive to the device materials. To remove, you need a separate staple remover, whose tip is placed under the staple, squeeze the handle to bend the staple and lift the device vertically from the skin. For buyers ordering disposable skin staplers in quantity, it's a simple matter to check that a compatible remover is available and included in the supply plan, avoiding delays at the point of use.