Comparison of a reusable with a disposable vessel-sealing device in a sheep model: efficacy and costs.
OBJECTIVE
To compare the efficacy of the new reusable vessel-sealing device MarSeal (KLS Martin, Tuttlingen, Germany) with the conventional standard disposable LigaSure device (Covidien-Valleylab, Boulder, CO) in an in vivo animal model.


METHODS
Prospective animal study.


METHODS
Center of Experimental Surgery at a university hospital.


METHODS
Thirteen sheep.


METHODS
The carotid and femoral arteries were dissected bilaterally and sealed randomly with MarSeal unilaterally and consecutively with LigaSure contralaterally in vivo. Afterward the burst pressure was determined for each artery.


METHODS
Sealing time, failure rate, and burst pressure.


RESULTS
The mean diameter of all arteries sealed did not differ significantly between the two groups (MarSeal 5.40 mm vs. LigaSure 5.35 mm). The mean sealing time was significantly shorter with use of the reusable device (MarSeal 5.2 seconds vs. LigaSure 9.1 seconds). We did not find a significant difference in sealing failure rates between the groups (MarSeal 7.0% vs. LigaSure 9.1%). In addition, analysis of mean burst pressure did not reveal a significant difference between the different devices (MarSeal 429 mm Hg vs. LigaSure 484 mm Hg). There was no significant difference with respect to lateral thermal damage (MarSeal 0.91 cm vs. LigaSure 0.93 cm).


CONCLUSIONS
In our in vivo animal study, the new reusable MarSeal device appears to be equivalently effective for vessel sealing when compared with the conventional disposable LigaSure device.
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Medical School, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany.
Maximilian
M
Klar
Jörg
J
Haberstroh
Sylvia
S
Timme
Gernod
G
Fritzsch
Gerald
G
Gitsch
Dominik
D
Denschlag
D000818:Animals; D002339:Carotid Arteries / Q000601:surgery; D003365:Costs and Cost Analysis; D004209:Disposable Equipment / Q000191:economics; D019544:Equipment Failure Analysis; D017743:Equipment Reuse / Q000191:economics; D005260:Female; D005263:Femoral Artery / Q000601:surgery; D008026:Ligation / Q000295:instrumentation; D023421:Models, Animal; D034561:Sheep, Domestic; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014656:Vascular Surgical Procedures / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods