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. 2015 Dec 9;2015(12):CD010143. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD010143.pub2

Bhatia 2002.

Methods Single‐centre UK study
Randomised controlled trial
Recruitment between June 2000 and March 2001
Participants 31 participants
28:3 male/female ratio
Mean age: 61 years
Inclusion criteria: not specified
Exclusion criteria: not specified
Interventions Automated staple device closure
vs
Polybutester nonabsorbable suture closure
Outcomes

  • Time taken for closure (rate per centimetre of wound) (recorded by independent observer)

    • Staples quicker than sutures (P value < 0.001)

  • Visual analogue scale (VAS) pain on removal score (patient reported, at 1 week postop)

    • Pain greater for staple removal than for suture removal (P value = 0.008)

  • Wound appearance grade at 1 week and at 2 weeks (recorded by unblinded surgeon)

    • No differences between groups

  • Patient‐reported wound appearance at 2 weeks (patient reported)

    • No differences between groups

  • Complications reported? yes

  • Details: 1 superficial wound infection treated with antibiotics; "no other complications"
Notes Length of follow‐up: 2 weeks
Low‐quality evidence due to risk of bias regarding allocation concealment and imprecision
No funding sources acknowledged; no conflicts of interest declared
Risk of bias
Bias Authors' judgement Support for judgement
Random sequence generation (selection bias) Low risk Random numbers table
Allocation concealment (selection bias) High risk Not discussed in paper; use of unsecured random numbers table assumed
Incomplete outcome data (attrition bias) 
 All outcomes Low risk 4 of 5 endpoints reported with complete data; 1 of 5 not reported (wound appearance category at 2 weeks)
Selective reporting (reporting bias) Low risk 4 of 5 endpoints reported with complete data; 1 of 5 not reported (wound appearance category at 2 weeks)
Other bias Low risk No blocked randomisation in an unblinded study
Blinding of participants and personnel (performance bias) 
 All outcomes High risk Blinding not possible
Blinding of outcome assessment (detection bias) 
 All outcomes High risk 3 of 5 assessments performed by surgeon or reported by participant; 1 other