Verification of clipless closure of cystic duct by harmonic scalpel

The excellent results of harmonic scalpel (HS) for closure of blood vessels encouraged surgeons to use these instruments for cystic ducts. The use of HS on tissues other than blood vessels was started with little data about its efficacy or safety. Therefore, this study was designed to verify the safety and efficacy of HS for achieving safe closure of the cystic ducts after laparoscopic cholecystectomy.

Sixty patients with symptomatic gallstone disease were enrolled in this prospective case control study. The patients were operated with laparoscopic technic and divided into two groups (n = 30). After the dissection of Calot's triangle, proximal cystic ducts on common bile ducts were sealed with single surgical clips (SC) in both groups. In the first group, distal of the cystic ducts was sealed with single SC and the gallbladders were removed with SC. In the second group, distal of the cystic ducts was sealed with HS and the gallbladders were removed as sealed cystic ducts with HS. Twenty-gauge catheters were inserted into the fundus of gallbladders in vitro and connected to the arterial line transducer set. A gradually increasing pressure was applied through a sphygmomanometer. The bursting pressures of the gallbladders were measured, and differences between HS and single SC groups were calculated with independent samples t-test. The value of P < 0.05 was accepted as significant.

The mean cystic duct bursting pressures in single SC and HS groups were 332.46 +/- 4.62 and 343.06 +/-4.28 mmHg, respectively. The mean values between the groups were found significant and indicated the superior results of HS.

HS sealer could be an alternative method for cystic duct closure, especially for avoiding the clip displacement and migration of the clip. Results of this study indicated that HS sealer was as reliable as single SC and it could be accepted as a standard closure technic.