title: Comparison of the safety of electrotome, Harmonic scalpel, and LigaSure for management of thyroid surgery.
abstract: Energy-based surgical devices, including electrotome, the Harmonic scalpel, and LigaSure, have been widely applied in thyroid surgery, although a comparison of their safety and efficacy has not been reported yet. In this study, we investigated the feasibility of using hemostatic energy-based surgical devices during thyroid surgery in a canine model.
  
  
  
  Twenty-four beagle dogs were randomly divided into the following groups: electrotome (30 kW), electrotome (15 kW), the Harmonic scalpel (output level 3), and LigaSure (middle gear). The hemostatic devices were applied on the thyroid surface for 3 seconds and then near the recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN; distance of 5 mm, 3 mm, or 1 mm) for 3 seconds. Evoked electromyography (EMG) amplitudes were recorded by intraoperative neuromonitoring (IONM). Acute microstructural morphological damage to thyroid tissues and the RLN were evaluated immediately after the procedure by light and electron microscopy.
  
  
  
  Electrotome caused a significant decrease in evoked EMG amplitudes when applied at a vertical distance of 1 mm from the RLN, both at 30 kW (1046 ± 404.3 μV vs 153 ± 245.5 μV; p < .001) and 15 kW (1197 ± 589.2 μV vs 986.3 ± 797.3 μV; p = .037), compared with those evoked under normal conditions. Furthermore, distinct acute microstructural morphological changes of the RLNs were observed by light and electron microscopy. However, no significant functional or histological changes were induced by the electrotome at a vertical distance of 5 mm or 3 mm from the RLN. The Harmonic scalpel and LigaSure induced neither marked changes in evoked EMG amplitudes when applied at vertical distances of 5 mm, 3 mm, or 1 mm (all p > .05) nor microstructural morphological changes in the RLNs. The electrotome (15 kW) caused more serious thermal damage to thyroid tissues than that caused by either the Harmonic scalpel or LigaSure (thermal damaged depth: 0.951 ± 0.061 vs 0.756 ± 0.074, p < .001; 0.951 ± 0.061 vs 0.724 ± 0.116, p < .001). Nevertheless, there were no differences between the Harmonic scalpel and LigaSure groups (p = .435).
  
  
  
  LigaSure and the Harmonic scalpel might be safer than electrotome when used in thyroid operations. LigaSure generates less heat than the Harmonic scalpel and electrotome. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Head Neck 39: 1078-1085, 2017.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Department of Surgical Oncology, Peking University People's Hospital, Beijing, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Xiaodong
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Department of Surgical Oncology, Peking University People's Hospital, Beijing, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Jian
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Cao
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Department of Surgical Oncology, Peking University People's Hospital, Beijing, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Yichao
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yan
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Peking University People's Hospital, Beijing, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Fangfang
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Department of Surgical Oncology, Peking University People's Hospital, Beijing, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Tao
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Department of Surgical Oncology, Peking University People's Hospital, Beijing, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Long
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Han
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Department of Surgical Oncology, Peking University People's Hospital, Beijing, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Chunxiang
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ye
authors.affiliation: Department of Electron Microscope Laboratory, Peking University People's Hospital, Beijing, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Shuying
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Department of Surgical Oncology, Peking University People's Hospital, Beijing, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Shan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Department of Surgical Oncology, Peking University People's Hospital, Beijing, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Yingjiang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ye
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Department of Surgical Oncology, Peking University People's Hospital, Beijing, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Kewei
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Jiang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001707:Biopsy, Needle; D004285:Dogs; D004576:Electromyography / Q000379:methods; D004598:Electrosurgery / Q000295:instrumentation; D006488:Hemostasis, Surgical / Q000295:instrumentation*; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D023421:Models, Animal; D061226:Recurrent Laryngeal Nerve Injuries / Q000517:prevention & control*; D017751:Safety Management; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013525:Surgical Instruments; D017792:Surgical Stapling; D013961:Thyroid Gland / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D013965:Thyroidectomy / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods
keywords: complications; energy-based surgical devices; neuromonitoring; recurrent laryngeal nerve; thyroid surgery