Tissue thickness of human stomach measured on excised gastric specimens from obese patients.

Laparoscopic linear cutting staplers are commonly used in bariatric surgery. Although many staple sizes are available, the clinical results of a staple line vary depending on the staple size and tissue environment. To help surgeons choose the proper staple size as well as establish design parameters for the development of new stapling devices, understanding the mechanical properties of the tissue is necessary.