Ligasure versus ultracision® in thyroid surgery: a prospective randomized study

Abstract
Purpose  New hemostatic technologies (NT) are often employed in thyroid surgery in the effort to reduce operating time and complications.
The aim of this study is to compare three different hemostatic techniques.

Methods  This is a prospective randomized study. There were 150 patients, aged 56 ± 14 years, randomized for total thyroidectomy with
conventional technique (CT), Ligasure vessel sealing system (LI) or Harmonic Scalpel (HS) at the university surgical department.
One hundred thirty-five patients had benign diseases; 15 had malignancies.

Results  Mean postoperative hospital stay was 2.6 days. Mean operation time was 113 ± 31 min; in HS patients, it was significantly
shorter (p < 0.001). Morbidity was 43.3%; mortality was nil. Morbidity was significantly different between CT and NT groups (p = 0.0002); HS and LI groups had a higher morbidity (p = 0.0001 and p = 0.02, respectively). Mean postoperative calcemia was 1.12 ± 0.1 mmol/l with a significant difference between groups; NT
patients had a significantly lower calcemia (p < 0.05). There was no difference in recurrent laryngeal nerve palsies and in intraoperative blood losses (p = ns).

Conclusions  According to our experience, the only real advantage of new hemostatic technologies was a shorter operation time with HS.

Content Type Journal ArticleCategory Controlled Prospective Clinical TrialsDOI 10.1007/s00423-008-0386-3Authors
Paola Vincenza Sartori, University of Milan Bicocca Surgical Department, S. Gerardo Hospital Via Pergolesi 33 20052 Monza ItalySergio De Fina, University of Milan Bicocca Surgical Department, S. Gerardo Hospital Via Pergolesi 33 20052 Monza ItalyGiovanni Colombo, University of Milan Bicocca Surgical Department, S. Gerardo Hospital Via Pergolesi 33 20052 Monza ItalyFrancesco Pugliese, University of Milan Bicocca Surgical Department, S. Gerardo Hospital Via Pergolesi 33 20052 Monza ItalyFabrizio Romano, University of Milan Bicocca Surgical Department, S. Gerardo Hospital Via Pergolesi 33 20052 Monza ItalyGiovanni Cesana, University of Milan Bicocca Surgical Department, S. Gerardo Hospital Via Pergolesi 33 20052 Monza ItalyFranco Uggeri, University of Milan Bicocca Surgical Department, S. Gerardo Hospital Via Pergolesi 33 20052 Monza Italy

Journal Langenbeck's Archives of SurgeryOnline ISSN 1435-2451Print ISSN 1435-2443 (Source: Langenbeck's Archives of Surgery)  MedWorm Sponsored Message: Find out how you can get your message across here by sponsoring this MedWorm news feed.