When it comes to tactical medicine, Israel is a world leader and has been responsible for no end of simple but highly effective devices from the Israeli Bandage to the Injured Personnel Carrier (IPC) and more.

This time, Israel’s brand new “Top Closure” is “zipping up” serious combat wounds.

Invented by an Israeli plastic surgeon, this device allows EMS and pararescue personnel to temporarily close a gaping wound swiftly and effectively.  “When trying to close a wound with sutures, we apply high tension to the skin,” he says. “With TopClosure we can spread the tension on the skin about 100,000 times higher than we could do before.”

The TopClosure 3s Trauma Management System has been approved for use in Israel, the United States and Europe, and is already being utilized in combat and natural disaster emergency situations including most recently during the medevac of IDF troops from Gaza during Operation Protective Edge.

The TopClosure 3S TMS is also being used on civilians under emergency laceration and gash circumstances.  

“We’ve been using it clinically already for a few years, collecting a lot of data to show the scope of applications,” says Topaz, chief of plastic surgery at Hillel Yaffe Medical Center in Hadera. “It’s changing the way we’ve been handling the closure of wounds to avoid further damage and contamination to the injured tissues.”

I’m sure most of you know the previous method this device is replacing (cleaning and suturing the wound, then applying a skin graft). Medics, paramedics, surgeons and other physicians are now able to “zip and unzip” wounds for easier evaluation and treatment.  The TopClosure simplifies the process, which also cuts down the time it takes for a victim’s wound to heal.

It looks like the top closure will be charging onto the tactical rescue scene pretty soon as another Israeli tool that improves combat survivability and chances of recovery even from some of the most serious combat wounds.