Carotid artery bursting pressure and seal time after multiple uses of a vessel sealing device.
OBJECTIVE
To determine any loss of function of a single-use bipolar vessel sealing device after repeated sterilization and use on canine carotid arteries.


METHODS
Ex vivo; randomized block design (dog).


METHODS
Carotid artery segments (n = 90) from 15 canine cadavers.


METHODS
Six 10-mm LigaSure Atlas 20 cm devices (Covidien Inc, Minneapolis, Minnesota) were used to seal canine carotid artery segments in one cadaver, then resterilized using ethylene oxide and reused in a second cadaver, and so on, for a total of 15 uses/15 cadavers per LigaSure. Sealing times and bursting pressures of each carotid artery segment after each use were recorded. Charring and sticking at each seal location was qualitatively assessed.


RESULTS
Mean (SD) sealing time for all segments was 5.3 (1.4) seconds, ranging from 2.7 to 9.5 seconds. There was no significant change in sealing time for successive uses (P = .117). The mean (SD) bursting pressure for all segments was 1041.3 (316.7) mm Hg, ranging from 355 to 1555 mm Hg. There was no change in bursting pressure across uses (P = .57). Moderate sticking and charring occurred at each time point but was not subjectively different throughout the study.


CONCLUSIONS
The LigaSure Atlas vessel sealing device can be used and resterilized with ethylene oxide up to 15 times with no change in sealing time or bursting pressure of the seal.
Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina.
Jocelin S
http://orcid.org/0000-0003-0899-1243
JS
Blake
Department of Surgery, Veterinary Specialty Hospital of the Carolinas, Cary, North Carolina.
Brian J
BJ
Trumpatori
Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina.
Kyle G
KG
Mathews
Department of Statistics, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina.
Emily H
EH
Griffith
D000818:Animals; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D002102:Cadaver; D002339:Carotid Arteries / Q000502:physiology*; D004285:Dogs; D004598:Electrosurgery / Q000662:veterinary*; D011312:Pressure; D013525:Surgical Instruments / Q000662:veterinary*; D014656:Vascular Surgical Procedures / Q000295:instrumentation*