Surgical Wound Closure Devices Market

Market Overview

The global surgical wound closure market size was valued at USD 6.01 billion in 2022. It is estimated to reach an expected value of USD 9.71 billion by 2031, growing at a CAGR of 5.5% over the forecast period (2023–2031). The global market for surgical wound closure devices is seeing substantial growth due to the increasing prevalence of operations and the expanding global demand for sophisticated surgical wound closure devices.

A wound can have or not have the underlying connective tissues—muscles, bones, and nerves—lost, along with a breakdown in the skin's ability to protect itself and a loss of epithelial continuity. It includes cuts, scrapes, scratches, and punctured skin. Moreover, it can be accidental, including burns, paper cuts, and skin tears, or surgical, which may occur due to a cut or incision in the skin, usually made by a scalpel during surgery.

Wound closure is essential as an open wound can lead to infection. However, a wound can be left open or closed. The protective bodily surface (the skin or mucous membranes) cracks in the event of open wounds, allowing foreign objects to enter the tissues. On the other hand, closed wounds prevent the damaged tissues from being exposed to the outside, allowing the healing process to proceed unhindered by contamination. Therefore, wound closure devices are essential in surgeries.

Market Dynamics

Market Drivers

Shifting End-Users Preference toward the Usage of Non-Invasive Wound Closure Devices

The wound closure devices are significant in every wound care and surgical procedure. Most wound closure devices distribute tension along the entire incision, adding uniform strength and preventing the skin gap from forming when the skin is stressed. This is especially important in preventing the entry of pathogens into the wound. Moreover, advancements in wound closure devices have enhanced, on average, non-invasive wound closure devices, providing 50% faster skin closure compared to traditional suture closing techniques. Market players are also focusing on introducing multiple new non-invasive wound closure devices. For instance, the Zip skin closure from Stryker is a non-invasive skin closure device for incisions and lacerations. The US-based firm DermaClip's DermaClip device is setting a new standard for wound closure and has been used effectively to close various wounds and surgical incisions. DermaClip got an R&D 100 Award in 2020 for excellent innovation.

Similarly, BandGrip, a Chicago-based company with micro-anchor skin closure, is the first minimally invasive wound closure device featuring patented micro-anchor technology. Clozex Medical's Clozex Closures are designed to address the limitations of traditional sutures and staple-based technologies in the market. These non-invasive devices are mainly used to reduce the limitations of the traditional suture and staple-based technology in the market. For instance, they help in faster skin closure; Clozex Medical's Clozex Closures provide faster skin closure with their simple design, reducing the time by 50%, decreasing the operating room costs and freeing up surgeon and staff time, expediting the patients to recovery, thereby increasing its demand. All such developments drive market growth.

Increased Product Launches

The global surgical wound closure devices market is growing significantly because of the rising prevalence of surgeries and the rising demand for advanced surgical wound closure devices worldwide. There are also great prospects for growth for global, regional, and local competitors due to the constantly increasing demand for absorbable sutures, powered stapling devices, and surgical closure strips. As a result, several market players strategically focus on developing and commercial launches of innovative products such as antimicrobial sutures and zip skin closure devices.

Moreover, new product approvals/launches and R&D activities help vendors expand their presence, enhance market growth, and sustain their market position. Market players in the surgical wound closure devices market are found to be actively involved in launching innovative devices to penetrate and tap the huge growth potential prevailing in the market.

Market Restraint

Safety Concerns Coupled with Product Recalls

The regulatory authorities of respective countries govern the quality of medical devices and their approvals. Regulatory bodies are introducing new regulations and revising existing ones, especially risky devices (Class II and III medical devices). According to the FDA, over 40,000 adverse event reports were filed between 2011 and 2018. For instance, surgical staplers malfunctioned over 32,000 times, caused 9,000 serious patient injuries, and caused over 350 patients to die. Protect risks associated with medical device design, manufacture, and packaging. As a result, in case of malfunctioning or reports of several adverse cases associated with such devices, they are often recalled for further safety studies to be performed. These challenges associated with the regulatory approval process impact a larger proportion of large and small medical device manufacturers. Despite the high potential for growth in the surgical wound closure devices market, actual penetration is low owing to regulations and recalls limiting the industry's ability to meet consumer demand.

Market Opportunities

Growing Popularity of Natural Surgical Sealants

Some post-operative uses for surgical sealants are sealing surgical incision leakage, reinforcing staples, or suture lines to reduce SSIs. These include anchoring implants to tissues, stopping bleeding, sealing tissues inside, and closing incisions after surgery. Sealants have emerged as a promising component for replacing sutures and staples to prevent air and liquid leakages during and after surgeries. Techniques for sealing tissues, such as sutures, wires, and staples, have several limitations, particularly in minimally invasive procedures, and may result in tissue damage and infections. Moreover, sealants can eliminate such limitations by preventing leakage of fluid and gas from a surgical incision. Polymers, whether natural or synthetic, can be used to make sealants. Fibrin, collagen, gelatin, and albumin are the four main categories into which natural sealants fall.

Furthermore, natural polymers, like some proteins such as collagen and its derivatives, e.g., fibrin, biomimetic mussels' monomers like I-3,4- dihydroxyphenylalanine (DOPA), and some polysaccharides, e.g., chitosan, starch, and dextran, have been used as surgical adhesives. Commercially, protein-based materials are most widely used for natural sealants. The main advantage of natural surgical sealants, including collagen or fibrin glues, includes their intrinsic hemostatic properties, which help in the coagulation process for healing wounds. Since natural surgical sealants are biocompatible, they do not have any adverse side effects, gaining wide popularity among healthcare professionals and patients. Moreover, the abundant availability and affordable price of natural sealants compared to synthetic products also contribute to their increasing popularity in the global surgical wound closure devices market.

Regional Analysis

Region-wise, the global surgical wound closure devices market is segmented into North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, and the Middle East and Africa. 

North America's surgical wound closure devices market share is estimated to exhibit a CAGR of 5.21% during the forecast period. The number of surgeries performed in North America is increasing owing to the developed healthcare infrastructure and consistent increase in the geriatric population. This has significantly increased the number of patients, necessitating the need for surgical operations and effective treatment, which is expected to drive market expansion. The benefits of non-invasive surgical treatments, which include reduced or no blood loss, no cuts or incisions on body parts, better patient care, and an improved overall experience for the patient, are anticipated to drive market expansion in the years to come.

Furthermore, the chances of hospital-acquired infections are also minimal with non-invasive surgeries. This has boosted the demand for non-invasive surgical procedures. Moreover, technological advancements such as robotic assistance during surgery enable physicians to handle complex surgeries with reduced risks, further increasing success rates. This is one of the primary factors driving the growth of surgeries in the North American surgical wound closure devices market.

Europe is expected to grow at a CAGR of 5.3% during the forecast period. The region is home to multiple developed countries, so most countries' healthcare infrastructure is well-developed. Countries like Germany, France, Italy, Spain, and the UK held the largest share of the European surgical wound closure devices market in 2020. Most countries have universal healthcare coverage, covering most surgeries through insurance and reimbursement policies. Many surgeries are performed in the region and are increasing with time due to the rise in the geriatric population and technological advancements. This further helps the patients to heal faster even with comorbidities such as diabetes and, in turn, boosts the demand for surgical wound closure devices among the end-users.

Asia-Pacific comprises a combination of healthcare markets at different stages of development. For instance, Japan has one of the world's largest and most advanced healthcare markets. The rising emphasis on cost containment, the demand for cutting-edge, minimally invasive technology, and initiatives to lessen reliance on pricey, high-acuity care settings are all reflected in surgical developments in Japan. Moreover, medical tourism is flourishing in nations like India. It even engages in medical outsourcing and is now regarded as one of the top nations promoting medical tourism.

Additionally, patients from all around the world travel to India to receive affordable procedures. Western patients typically receive a package offer that includes transportation, lodging, medical care, and frequently a post-surgery vacation. Patients can have hip surgery, open-heart surgery, knee replacements, dentistry, bone marrow transplants, cancer therapy, or even pediatric heart surgery. All such factors drive regional growth.

Segmental Analysis

The global surgical wound closure devices market has been segmented based on product, patient group, and end-user.

Based on the product, the global surgical wound closure devices market is classified into surgical sutures and needles, surgical stapling devices, surgical sealants and adhesives, and surgical wound closure strips.

The surgical sutures and needles segment dominates the global market and is expected to exhibit a CAGR of 3.8% during the forecast period. Surgical sutures, sometimes referred to as stitches or stitches, are medical devices used to approximate the margins of wounds following surgery or damage and hold bodily tissues together. The standard tools for the job are a needle and some thread. Sutures come in various forms, each with its unique needle shape, size, and thread composition. The characteristics of the wound, its location, and the specific body tissues that need to be approximated should all be taken into account when selecting a surgical suture.

Based on patient groups, the global surgical wound closure market is adults and pediatrics.

The adult segment owns the highest market and is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 5.9% during the forecast period. This segment accounted for the largest share as most adults are widely exposed to the environment and have larger risk factors associated with their lifestyle, thereby driving the demand for surgical treatments. Awareness among the adult population is high, which boosts the demand for a large number of elective procedures. Moreover, the adult segment dominated the global market as adults are more prone to accidents and diseases with increased risk factors and are directly exposed to the environment to a large extent. This has made the adult population undergo a larger volume of surgeries compared to the pediatrics.

Based on end-users, the global surgical wound closure market is categorized into hospitals, specialty medical facilities, and others. 

The hospital segment dominates the global market and is predicted to grow at a CAGR of 4.9% during the forecast period. Hospitals are the first point of contact for any infection and emergency care. Most hospitals are using advanced wound closure devices to help the patient population with faster healing and early discharge. Surgical staplers and advanced absorbable sutures are widely used in hospitals for faster patient healing. Antimicrobial sutures are also widely used in hospitals to avoid complications post-surgery and prevent surgical site infections. For instance, SSI is the most common complication following major GI surgeries, affecting 25–40% of patients. Such instances drive segment growth.

Recent Developments

• May 2023 - Baxter International Inc. signed a definitive agreement to sell its BioPharma Solutions ("BPS") business to Warburg Pincus and Advent International ("Advent"), two of the largest and most seasoned global private equity investors.
• June 2023 - Cardinal Health announced its plans to build a new distribution center in the Greenville, South Carolina, area to support its at-Home Solutions business, a market-leading home healthcare medical supplies provider serving people with chronic and serious health conditions in the United States.