Surgical staples are a type of medical fastener that is used in surgery. They are made of stainless steel, titanium or other materials, and are usually about five millimeters long and have two legs or arms.
Surgical staples are often used to close up incisions after surgery, stop bleeding from small wounds and grafts, and hold tissue together while it heals.
There are several different types of surgical stapling devices on the market today. Some devices use a disposable cartridge that contains a pre-formed staple line with anvils (closing jaws) on each end.
Others use reusable “end effectors” with replaceable cutting surfaces that clamp onto the ends of staples before they’re fired into place by pressing down on a trigger button that activates solenoid coils inside the device’s handle assembly.
The most common surgical stapler is an “endoscopic” model that can be inserted into a patient through a small incision in the abdomen or chest. These devices contain a thin tube with an optical scope on one end, which allows the doctor to see what’s going on inside the body as he or she works.
What Happens If You Got Defective Staplers?
If you were injured by a defective stapler, such as Ethicon surgical staples which are being recalled, you could have grounds to file a lawsuit. A product liability attorney can help you determine whether the manufacturer of your device was negligent in its design or manufacturing process and what compensation might be available to you from the on-going Ethicon surgical staples lawsuit.
Unfortunately, this is something that many surgical device manufacturers are aware of and take steps to avoid. This means that it’s often difficult for patients who’ve been hurt by these devices to get compensation, even when they’ve suffered severe injuries.