Surgical Staplers: The History of Conception and Adoption.

The article explores not well-known aspects of the development of surgical staplers. It is based on the review of the selected literature. It covers the novel idea of using metal staples that was successfully executed in 1908 by Hültl, Hungarian surgeon, and acknowledges contribution of the Soviet specialists to the development of the mechanical suturing devices for many thoracic, abdominal and vascular procedures. The article also reflects on almost detective story of how Ravitch, an American surgeon visiting the USSR in 1957, managed to bring to the USA a Russian stapler, which became a prototype for modern devices.