title: Ultrasonic coagulator for thyroidectomy: a systematic review of randomized controlled trials.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the effect of ultrasonic coagulator for thyroidectomy.
  
  
  METHODS
  randomized controlled trials were searched in PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, SCI, Chinese Biomedical Database, China Academic Journals Full-Text Database, Chinese Scientific Journals Database, and China Online Journals. The authors evaluated the quality of included studies by Handbook 5.0.0, and analyzed data by Cochrane Collaboration's RevMan 5.0.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 11 RCTs with 1420 patients met the criteria. Between ultrasonic coagulator and conventional technique, there were significant differences in operative time of total thyroidectomy (P < .00001) and amount of intraoperative bleeding (P = .02). There were no significant differences in operative time of part thyroidectomy (P = .07), amount of postoperative drainage (P = .18), cases of transient hypocalcemia (P = .41), cases of transient recurrent nerve paresis (P = .21), and total cost in hospital (P = .08).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Current studies demonstrate that ultrasonic coagulator has a significant reduction on the operating time of total thyroidectomy and the amount of intraoperative bleeding in thyroidectomy, without increasing complications and total cost in hospital.
authors.affiliation: Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China, Ministry of Public Health, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Zong-jiu
authors.initials: ZJ
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Peng
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Jin-hui
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Tian
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Lun
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Jing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Tian
authors.forename: Ke-hu
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Yang
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D013959:Thyroid Diseases / Q000601:surgery*; D013961:Thyroid Gland / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000601:surgery*; D013965:Thyroidectomy / Q000295:instrumentation*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014464:Ultrasonic Therapy; D014463:Ultrasonography; D055815:Young Adult