Saffron™ Fixation System
The Saffron™ Fixation System (Coloplast, Minneapolis, MN) is a contemporary anchor-based sacrospinous ligament fixation (SSLF) device designed to facilitate a durable, fast, and complication-minimizing apical-suspension procedure. Like the Anchorsure, it delivers a permanent biocompatible anchor into the ligament rather than capturing a suture across it.
Design
- Two-piece reusable system:
- Saffron tool — curved, ergonomic handle; multiple uses per surgical case; reprocessed between cases
- Saffron anchors — biocompatible, single-use, permanently implanted; sold in boxes of 12
- Narrow distal tip — clean entry into the dissection plane for accurate anchor placement
- Curved body — matches the approach angle to the sacrospinous ligament
- Intuitive ergonomics — designed for single-handed operation
Evidence
Cadaveric validation (van Raalte et al., 2023) measured:[1]
- Anchor pull-out force (efficacy) — sufficient to resist physiologic apical-support loads
- Distance between anchors and critical neurovascular structures (safety) — pudendal vessels and nerve, inferior gluteal vessels
- Consistency across implanters — three surgeons, three cadavers; reproducible placement
Positioning in the SSLF Landscape
The Saffron joins the Anchorsure as a contemporary anchor-based alternative to the dominant suture-capture devices (Capio, i-Stitch) and the legacy suture-passers (Miya Hook, Deschamps Ligature Carrier). The anchor-based concept addresses the same clinical pain point — gluteal / buttock pain after traditional SSLF — by embedding fixation within ligament substance rather than compressing it.
Use
- Apical POP repair — vaginal vault suspension after hysterectomy
- Uterovaginal prolapse fixation
References
1. van Raalte H, et al. A Novel Anchoring System for Pelvic Organ Prolapse Repair: An Observational Study. International Urogynecology Journal. 2023;34. doi:10.1007/s00192-022-05444-7
See also: Anchorsure System, Capio Suture Capturing Device, Miya Hook.