Surgical clips are devices used by surgeons to secure tissues or blood vessels internally during an operation. They function as a rapid alternative to traditional methods like suturing. They are designed to provide immediate and reliable closure in areas that are difficult to access, improving the speed and efficiency of surgeries. Given their widespread use in procedures from routine gallbladder removal to complex oncological resections, understanding their function and fate in the body is a common concern for patients.
Why Surgeons Use Clips
The primary application of surgical clips is to achieve secure hemostasis (stopping blood flow from vessels) and to provide occlusion (closure) for ducts and tubular structures. Clips mechanically compress and crimp the device around the target structure, effectively sealing it off. This rapid ligation is an advantage over manually tying knots with suture material, a process that is technically demanding and time-consuming in confined spaces.
Clips are frequently used to close off the cystic duct and cystic artery during a laparoscopic cholecystectomy (gallbladder removal), and to manage blood vessel branches during more complicated surgeries. Their reliability ensures that once a vessel or duct is sealed, the risk of a leak or post-operative bleeding is minimized. Beyond ligation, clips also serve a secondary function as radiopaque markers, meaning they are visible on X-rays and other imaging scans. This marking ability is useful in oncology to identify the precise margins of a tumor site or the location of a biopsy for subsequent radiation therapy or monitoring.
Materials and Types of Clips
The material and design of a surgical clip are chosen based on the structure being secured and the required duration of the closure. The most common type of permanent clip is made from medical-grade titanium, a highly biocompatible metal that rarely causes adverse reactions. Titanium clips are preferred for major vessel branches requiring long-term, secure closure, and their radiopacity makes them easily visible for post-operative imaging confirmation. These clips come in various sizes and configurations, sometimes featuring a locking mechanism to ensure a non-slip closure.
A distinct category includes clips made from absorbable polymers, which are plastic-like materials such as polyglycolic acid or polylactic acid. These clips provide temporary ligation, gradually degrading and being absorbed by the body over a period that typically ranges from a few months to a year. They are often used for smaller vessels or ducts where a permanent foreign body is not desired. Non-absorbable polymer clips also exist, offering a material alternative to titanium while still providing a permanent closure.
Staying in the Body Permanently
Many surgical clips are intentionally designed to remain in the body permanently, where they are considered inert and safe. Non-absorbable clips, such as those made from titanium, do not degrade, providing a lasting seal on the structures they compress. Over time, the body typically encapsulates the clip in a thin layer of scar tissue, which anchors the device in place.
Absorbable clips will disappear from the body within about six to twelve months as the polymer material naturally breaks down and is eliminated. Permanent metal clips are generally not ferromagnetic and do not trigger airport or security metal detectors. Most modern titanium surgical clips are compatible with Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scans, though they may cause a minor localized distortion (artifact) in the image immediately surrounding the clip.