@article{3137514,
    title = "Thyroid surgery: comparison between the electrothermal bipolar vessel
sealing system, harmonic scalpel, and classic suture ligation",
    author = "Manouras, Andreas and Markogiannakis, Haridimos and Koutras, Athanasios and S. and Antonakis, Pantelis T. and Drimousis, Panagioitis and and Lagoudianakis, Emmanuel E. and Kekis, Panagiotis and Genetzakis, Michael and and Koutsoumanis, Konstantinos and Bramis, Ioannis",
    journal = "AMERICAN JOURNAL OF SURGERY",
    year = "2008",
    volume = "195",
    number = "1",
    pages = "48-52",
    publisher = "EXCERPTA MEDICA INC-ELSEVIER SCIENCE INC",
    issn = "0002-9610",
    doi = "10.1016/j.amjsurg.2007.01.037",
    keywords = "thyroid surgery; electrothermal bipolar vessel sealing system; harmonic
scalpel; suture ligation technique",
    abstract = "Background: This study was conducted to compare the outcome of total
thyroidectomy using the electrothermal bipolar vessel sealing system,
the harmonic scalpel, and the classic suture ligation technique.
Methods: This was a retrospective study of prospectively collected data
from 382 consecutive total thyroidectomies from September 2004 to August
2006. Patients were divided into 3 groups: group SL patients (n = 90)
underwent total thyroidectomy with the classic suture ligation
technique, group L (n = 148) with the electrothermal bipolar vessel
sealer, and group U (n = 144) with the harmonic scalpel. The main
outcomes measured were surgical and hospitalization time, intraoperative
and postoperative bleeding, postoperative hypocalcemia, and superior and
inferior laryngeal nerves injuries.
Results: The 3 groups were similar in terms of demographics, thyroid
gland weight and pathology, perioperative complications, and hospital
stay. Compared with the classic technique, surgical time was reduced
significantly by about 20% when the bipolar vessel sealer or harmonic
scalpel was used (93.3 +/- 12.5 vs 74.3 +/- 14.2 and 73.8 +/- 13.8 min,
P = .001, and P = .001, respectively).
Conclusions: Both the bipolar vessel sealer and harmonic scalpel are
safe, useful, and time-saving alternatives to the traditional suture
ligation technique for thyroid surgery. Because no differences were
observed regarding these 2 devices, the choice should be made based on
the surgeon’s preferences and experience. (c) 2008 Excerpta Medica Inc.
All rights reserved."
}