New zip skin closures save time in cath lab, reduce tissue damage

A new noninvasive skin closure device is more efficient and effective than other models when used during heart surgery, according to findings in a new study.

The closure, manufactured by Campbell, California-based ZipLine Medical, has been branded the Zip Surgical Skin Closure, the company said in a statement. The study appeared online in Pacing and Clinical Electrophysiology.

In the study, the zip showed uniformity in closure technique and didn’t hinder any cosmetic outcomes or patients’ safety when used to close an incision after placing a cardiac implantable electronic device in a patient. The zip was tested on 40 patients.

Older models have been known to puncture healthy skin tissue or require the introduction of a foreign object that is gradually absorbed by the patient’s body, the company said.

“The significant time savings and reduced variability associated with the zip device may also improve overall procedure cost and scheduling efficiency,” said Ulrika Birgersdotter-Green, MD, the study’s lead author and the director of pacemaker and ICD Services at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, in a statement. “Because the device eliminates suturing for the skin closure, this task may potentially be delegated from the operator to further improve workflow efficiency in the procedure lab.”