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 resi-
dent once," says Dr. Vagley. "I zigged, he zagged,
and I wound up with a needle in my finger." Indeed,
accidental pricks that occur with sutures are one of
the top causes of injury with sharps among staff.
Non-invasive wound closure 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 lit-
tle holes in the body," says Dr. Shah. "That's a possi-
ble 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 products. Sutures
and staples are relatively inexpensive when com-
pared to alternatives. "You may be paying $20 for
staples versus, maybe, $80 for some type of alterna-
tive 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.
5 0 • 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
Clozex Medical
Clozex Surgical Skin Closures
clozex.com
781-237-1673
FYI: You can monitor the wound as it heals with Clozex Surgical
Skin Closures, a clear, water-resistant adhesive that consists of a
series of inter-laced adhesive pulling straps. The adhesive can
reduce skin closure time by 50% while also providing high-level
control and exceptional cosmetic results, says the company. It
can approximate both sides of a wound at the same time, which
ensures equal or symmetrical distribution of tension on both the
product and the skin. Applied independently to each side of the
wound, 1 mm to 2 mm from each edge, to allow for more precise
placement and better skin alignment. Comes in a variety of sizes,
ranging from 1 inch x 1
3
⁄ 8 inch to 4 inches x 2 inches.
BandGrip
BandGrip
bandgrip.com
844-968-6322
FYI: BandGrip combines a clear adhesive closure
device with curved micro-anchors that keep the
skin secured during the healing period. The micro-
anchors — tiny needles that embed the device into
the skin, but not deep enough to cause the patient
pain or discomfort — grip and secure the skin in
place as the surgeon places the adhesive across
the pinched/closed edge of the wound or incision
and presses it firmly into place. You can "tile"
BandGrip along the length of the wound approxi-
mately 3 mm apart.
