title: [Ultrasonic scalpel in thyroid surgery].
abstract: The thyroid gland is highly vascularized and, in all Thyroid surgery, a special attention must be paid to haemos. tasis and coagulation. Any carelessness in the control of thyroid vessels can indeed entail serious consequences. In this respect, the ultrasonic scalpel represents a significant progress. In this paper, the ultrasonic dissector will first be presented. Then a prospective, randomized trial comparing the results obtained with this apparatus to those obtained with the conventional method of hemostasis in a series of 34 patients submitted to total thyroidectomy for multinodular goiter will be summarized. Without increasing the costs, the ultrasonic dissector allows a saving of operative time as well as a reduction of peroperative bleeding and of postoperative use of antalgics. Finally, the results of 1696 total thyroidectomies performed with the use of the ultrasonic dissector will be briefly outlined.
authors.affiliation: Service de Chirurgie Abdominale, Sénologique, Endocrine et de Transplantation, CHU Sart Tilman, Liège, Belgique.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Coimbra
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Defechereux
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Meurisse
authors.forename: J P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Squifflet
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Meurisse
mesh_terms: D004867:Equipment Design; D006801:Humans; D011446:Prospective Studies; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D013965:Thyroidectomy / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods*; D014464:Ultrasonic Therapy / Q000295:instrumentation*