title: Usefulness of the ultrasonically activated shears in total thyroidectomy.
abstract: Surgical technique of total thyroidectomy is nowadays well known. Technology could determine some improvement of this kind of surgery. Two groups of patients that underwent total thyroidectomy were compared retrospectively. In group 1 we described 105 total thyroidectomies performed with ultrasonically activated shears; in group 2, 76 performed with conventional methods of haemostasis. Comparing the two groups for several parameters, it results that in the total thyroidectomies performed with ultrasonically actived shears, operative time is shorter of 24 minutes compared with conventional method (81 vs 105 minutes), the mean amount of intraoperative blood loss is smaller (70 ml vs 125 ml), the postoperative pain is less, the cosmetic result is better (length of incision 6 cm vs 10 cm) and the costs is not more expensive. Complications of thyroid surgery are similar between the two methods. The use of ultrasonically actived shears in total thyroidectomy is safe (no increase of complications) and useful because it reduces operative time, improves the recovery of the patient (less pain, better cosmetic results) and, finally, is not more expensive than conventional method of haemostasis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgical and Anaestesiological Sciences, I Surgical Clinic, S. Orsola-Malpighi Hospital, University of Bologna, Italy.
authors.forename: Riccardo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Casadei
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Perenze
authors.forename: Fabio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Vescini
authors.forename: Lida
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Piccoli
authors.forename: Nicola
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Zanini
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Minni
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D016063:Blood Loss, Surgical; D002291:Carcinoma, Papillary / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D006042:Goiter / Q000601:surgery; D006488:Hemostasis, Surgical; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013525:Surgical Instruments; D013964:Thyroid Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery; D013965:Thyroidectomy / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D013997:Time Factors; D014465:Ultrasonics