Placement of Absorbable Dermal Staples in Mammaplasty and Abdominoplasty: A 12-Month Prospective Study of 60 Patients.

BACKGROUND The duration to close an incision is an important consideration in plastic surgery. The placement of Insorb absorbable subcuticular staples (Insorb, Incisive Surgical, Plymouth, MN) may allow for a decreased closure time compared with other modalities. OBJECTIVES The authors evaluated the utility of Insorb staples for the closure of mammaplasty and abdominoplasty incisions. METHODS Sixty patients who underwent anterior abdominal dermatolipectomy, total circular abdominal dermatolipectomy, bilateral breast reduction, or bilateral mastopexy were evaluated in a prospective study. Dermal closure was achieved on 1 side of each patient with Insorb absorbable staples and on the other with absorbable monofilament sutures. Scar quality, pruritus, and pain were scored according to a modified Vancouver Scar Scale (mVSS) at 1, 6, and 12 months postoperatively. RESULTS Closure with absorbable staples was approximately 7-fold faster than closure with absorbable sutures for all surgical procedures. No significant differences in mVSS scores were noted between incisions closed with staples vs sutures. CONCLUSIONS Absorbable staples enable faster closure of a surgical incision without compromising scar quality or patient comfort. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE 3 Therapeutic.