The American surgeon
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The American surgeon · Sep 2011
Review Meta AnalysisSutures versus staples for the management of surgical wounds: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.
Surgical sutures are conventionally used in skin closure of surgical wounds. Alternative wound closure techniques include staples and adhesive strips. We aimed to evaluate sutures versus staples as methods of surgical wound closure by performing a meta-analysis. ⋯ Our findings suggest that staples are associated with fewer wound infections compared with sutures in the evaluated types of surgery. However, in a rather limited number of studies, the use of staples was associated with more pain. Further studies incorporating more objective methods for assessment cosmetic and patient satisfaction are required to clarify this issue.