[Use of plasmakinetics vessel sealing vs suture material in abdominal total hysterectomy]

To compare the safety and efficacy of the use of bipolar plasmakinetic vessel sealing versus standard technique when performing total abdominal hysterectomy for benign disease.

Controlled randomized trial involving 94 women who underwent total abdominal hysterectomy. Fourty seven procedures were performed using bipolar plasmakinetics vessel sealing and the remaining 47 with the standard suture technique. The primary outcomes were improvement in terms of blood loss, procedure time, hospital length of stay, and overall cost of the procedure. Statistical methodology considered significant p < 0.05.

Mean operational time was shorter with bipolar vessel sealing duration of 82 minutes (range 78-85) versus 99 minutes (range 93-104) with standard technique; (p < 0.001). Days in hospital for the bipolar vessel sealing group was 2.06 days (range 2-2.1), versus 3.2 days (range 2.9-3.4), (p < 0.001), estimated blood loss of 209 mL (range 182-235) as compared to the standard group with 330 mL(range 297-362) (p < 0.003), there was a significant difference in terms of overall cost with bipolar vessel sealing as compared to the standard technique (p < 0.001).The incidence of perioperative complications was similar.

Women who underwent the procedure with bipolar plasmakinetics vessel sealing showed a significant reduction in blood loss, operative time, length of stay, and also a decrease in the final cost of the procedure.