Surgical Staplers

Since the turn of the century, surgeons have been inspired to develop devices which close or connect hollow organs. The early devices of the Hungarian surgeons Hültl and Petz and later of the Germans Friedrich and Neuffer were pioneering achievements. However, the current prototypes of mechanical staplers originated in Russia and were developed in the 1950s. Linear and circular staplers were developed to safely perform standardized surgical procedures (e.g., gastrectomies and bowel resections). The American surgeon Ravitch then brought these devices to the United States in the 1960s and focused on improving them in terms of applicability and reliability. In collaboration with industry, preloaded plastic cassettes were developed with double staggered staple lines in various lengths. In the mid-1970s, the first disposable staplers were developed and subsequently distributed worldwide. Nowadays, staplers are also used in minimally invasive procedures (laparoscopic or robotic). The devices are available as mechanical or electrically powered staplers.