Experimental and clinical study of influence of high-frequency electric surgical knives on healing of abdominal incision.
OBJECTIVE
To study the influence of high-frequency electric surgical knives on healing of abdominal incision.


METHODS
Two hundred and forty white rats were divided into 10(0), 10(2), 10(5), and 10(8) groups and rat models of abdominal operation were induced by using electric surgical knives and common lancets respectively. Then they were respectively given hypodermic injections of normal saline and 0.2 mL quantitative mixture of Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa at a concentration of 10(2), 10(5) and 10(8). On the basis of the animal experiment, 220 patients undergoing abdominal operations (above type II) were randomly allocated into one of following three groups: electric knife (EK, 93 cases), electro-coagulation (EC, 55 cases) and control (72 cases). High-frequency electric surgical knives were used to dissect abdominal tissues and electro-coagulation for hemostasis in EK group. Common lancets and electro-coagulation were applied in EC group. Common lancets and tying silk suture were used in the controls.


RESULTS
In all the groups except group 10(0), infection rate of incisional wounds made by electric surgical knives were remarkably higher than that with common lancets. Furthermore, there were significant differences in groups 10(2), 10(5), and 10(8) (P<0.05), but not in group 10(0) (P>0.05) between EK and EC groups. Clinical studies showed a delayed wound healing in 16 cases (17.20%) in EK, 11 cases (16.36%) in EC and 2 cases (2.86%) in the control groups. A significant difference between EK and the control groups (chi2 = 8.57, P<0.01), and between EC and the control groups (chi2 = 5.66, P<0.05) was observed, but not between EK and EC (chi2 = 0.017, P>0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
High-frequency electric knives may remarkably delay abdominal incision healing. Its application should be minimized so as to reduce the possibility of postoperative complications.
Ji
Guang-Wei
GW
Department of General Surgery, 2nd Hospital of Wuhan Iron and Steel Corporation, Wuhan 430085, Hubei Province, China. dr.jgw@163.com
Wu
Yuan-Zhi
YZ
Wang
Xu
X
Pan
Hua-Xiong
HX
Li
Ping
P
Du
Wan-Ying
WY
Qi
Zhi
Z
Huang
An
A
Zhang
Li-Wei
LW
Zhang
Li
L
Chen
Wen
W
Liu
Guang-Hua
GH
Xu
Hui
H
Li
Quan
Q
Yuan
Ai-Hua
AH
He
Xiao-Ping
XP
Mei
Guo-Hua
GH
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000818:Animals; D004560:Electricity / Q000009:adverse effects*; D004564:Electrocoagulation / Q000009:adverse effects; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007813:Laparotomy / Q000295:instrumentation*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013525:Surgical Instruments / Q000009:adverse effects*; D013530:Surgical Wound Infection / Q000209:etiology*; D014945:Wound Healing / Q000502:physiology*