Use of staplers and adverse events in thoracic surgery

One of the key requirements for the use of staplers in surgery in general is the need to find a balance between adequate tissue compression time and the risk of increased tissue tearing and excessive tensile strength (1). In thoracic surgery, some specificities of the lung tissue, whose peripheral and central areas vary greatly in content of solid (bronchi) and more plastic elements (alveoli), directly influence the stapling process. In addition, increases in lung tissue thickness are typical for lung cancer and pulmonary fibrosis. These changes, together with lung emphysema and tuberculosis, affect the efficiency of staplers as well.