Surgical staples are thin, light staples that temporarily hold surgical incisions together after an operation. Surgeons commonly use staples to close large wounds. The staples do not provide as good of a cosmetic outcome as sutures, but can be very easily and quickly removed. According to the book "Surgery" by Josef Fischer, surgeons apply staples to wounds that are in areas that are not cosmetically important and in situations where they may have to reopen the wound quickly in case of post-operative complications.
Step 1
Place the patient in a comfortable position with the wound exposed. The staple removal can take a few minutes, so the patient should be comfortable. Make sure that you have a good view of the wound.
Step 2
Remove the staples one by one using a staple removal forceps. A part of the instrument slides underneath the staple while another part pinches it and opens it up. The procedure should be done slowly and carefully to avoid any unnecessary pain to the patient.
Step 3
Wipe the blood and debris from the wound. After the staples are removed, the wound often has a small amount of fresh blood in addition to the dry blood from the operation. According to "The Mont Reid Surgical Handbook," the wound also often has dead skin that becomes apparent after the staples are removed. That should all be cleaned up after staple removal.
Step 4
Apply Bacitracin or an equivalent antiseptic cream, such as Soft and Shield. These creams work well because they prevent infections while also providing moisture to the wound.
Step 5
Apply gauze over the wound, then use tape to cover the gauze. Alternatively, use pre-made bandaging to cover up the wound. Which method you use will depend on the size of the wound.
Things You'll Need
- Staple removal forceps
- Gauze
- Bacitracin
- Tape
References
- "Surgery"; Josef Fischer; 2008
- "Introduction to Surgery"; David Levien; 1999
- "The Mont Reid Surgical Handbook"; David Fischer; 2005
- Soft and Shield: Information
Member Comments