Why surgical stapling is a hot medical device product

The global increase in laparoscopic surgeries, particularly bariatric, is leading to a greater reliance on surgical staples, says a report on the Surgical Stapling Devices Market from Future Markets Insight.

Close to $2 billion worth of surgical stapling devices were sold in the world last year, and revenues are expected to double by the end of 2026.

Time savings, accuracy and precision of surgical site closure are key drivers for adoption of surgical staple devices. The report stated, “Suturing becomes difficult when a surgeon is operating on the 3-dimensional plane while concentrating on the 2-dimensional plane.” Staples effectively mitigate the problem and are generally accepted to yield comparable results.

Two companies dominate this market. Johnson and Johnson and Medtronic held around 80% in 2015. Their influence will continue to grow, although other players might find success focusing on untapped regions in Asia Pacific, India, the Middle East, and Africa.

North America is the largest market for stapling devices and will see nearly $1 billion in revenues before 2026. The fastest adopter will be in Asia Pacific region, not including Japan, say the report.

Stapling technology preferences

The report noted that right now, there is a preference for disposable products over reusables, predicting that 6 out of 10 surgical stapling devices sold in the world are likely to be disposable. However, it also considered that hospital procurement teams might prefer reusable devices, and categorize them as “green products” that yield less waste and can be easily sterilized with other stainless steel surgical tools.

The report also compared curved, straight, and circular stapling methods. It concluded that a preference for curved surgical stapling is on a rise.

Powered surgical stapling devices (e.g., Echelon Flex Powered Endopath from Ethicon and the iDrive from Medtronic) will remain dominant among product types. These types of products are expected to further gain traction, due to increasing demand for advanced technology. The North America surgical stapling devices market accounted for the largest revenue share at over 30% in 2015. Increasing geriatric population and growing demand for advanced medical technology in the U.S. present key growth opportunities for manufacturers of surgical stapling devices.

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