A multicentre controlled study of the InLine radiofrequency ablation device for liver transection

Area of Science:

• Hepatobiliary Surgery
• Minimally Invasive Surgical Techniques
• Oncology

Background:

• Surgical resection is the primary treatment for liver cancer.
• Excessive intraoperative blood loss during liver resection is linked to increased postoperative complications.
• The InLine radiofrequency ablation device (ILRFA) has shown potential for minimizing blood loss in liver surgery.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the efficacy and safety of the InLine radiofrequency ablation device (ILRFA) in reducing blood loss during liver resection.
• To compare blood loss and operative times between ILRFA and ultrasonic surgical aspirator transection.

Main Methods:

• A multicentre prospective sequential cohort study involving 108 patients undergoing liver resection.
• 54 patients were treated with ILRFA, and 54 served as the control group using ultrasonic surgical aspirators.
• Data collected included blood loss, coagulation time, and transection time.

Main Results:

• Median blood loss was significantly lower in the ILRFA group (165 ml) compared to the control group (654 ml) (p<0.001).
• Median transection time was shorter in the ILRFA group (27 min) versus the control group (35 min).
• The ILRFA device demonstrated effective coagulation and minimal blood loss.

Conclusions:

• The ILRFA device is effective and safe for liver transection, significantly reducing intraoperative blood loss.
• Precoagulation using ILRFA before parenchymal transection is a viable surgical strategy.
• Avoiding vascular inflow occlusion during parenchymal transection may offer additional benefits.