removal appointments, the use of non- or less-invasive adhesive
wound closure alternatives can also help with what's often referred to
as the patient's "halo effect" or overall impression of your facility.
"If a patient sees the surgeon is on the cutting edge and using these
staple-free devices, he's likely to tell his friends and family about your
facility," says Dr. Shah.
• Safety. "I was working side by side with a resident once," says Dr.
Vagley. "I zigged, he zagged, and I wound up with a needle in my fin-
ger." Indeed, accidental pricks that occur with sutures are one of the
top causes of injury with sharps among staff. Non-invasive wound clo-
sure products remove this sharps safety hazard. Plus, there are patient
safety concerns with the more invasive traditional closure devices like
staples. "With staples, you're leaving little holes in the body," says Dr.
Shah. "That's a possible source of infection. It hasn't been clinically
proven, but it's always a concern for surgeons."
• Time savings. This is a biggie, especially for facilities that might
balk initially at the increased cost of alternative wound closure prod-
ucts. Sutures and staples are relatively inexpensive when compared to
alternatives. "You may be paying $20 for staples versus, maybe, $80
for some type of alternative closure device," says Dr. Shah. "That
shouldn't be a prohibitive cost — especially if you're looking at the
big picture." For staples, that big picture involves all the time you'll
save not having to remove staples from patients after surgery. Staple
removal becomes like a minor procedure that keeps surgeons from
seeing other patients, notes Dr. Shah.
• Ease of use. Many of the closure products available are so simple
and intuitive to use, surgeons can delegate the closure to a surgical
assistant, something that becomes invaluable in high-volume facilities.
"If you're operating in 2 rooms at a busy facility, and you can delegate
the closure to an assistant," says Dr. Vagley, "there's potential to com-
8 4 • O U T PA T I E N T S U R G E R Y M A G A Z I N E • A U G U S T 2 0 1 9
