Surgical outcomes of total thyroidectomy using the LigaSure™ Small Jaw versus LigaSure Precise™: A retrospective study of 2000 consecutive patients

A vessel sealing system can help reduce the risk of postoperative complications after tumour resection in the medial thigh

Aims

The risk of postoperative complications after resection of soft-tissue sarcoma in the medial thigh is higher than in other locations. This study investigated whether a vessel sealing system (VSS) could help reduce the risk of postoperative complications after wide resection of soft-tissue sarcoma in the medial thigh.

Methods

Of 285 patients who underwent wide resection for soft-tissue sarcoma between 2014 and 2021 at our institution, 78 patients with tumours in the medial thigh were extracted from our database. Information on clinicopathological characteristics, preoperative treatment, surgical treatment (use of VSS, blood loss volume, operating time), and postoperative course (complications, postoperative haemoglobin changes, total drainage volume, and drainage and hospitalization durations) were obtained from medical records. We statistically compared clinical outcomes between patients whose surgery did or did not use VSS (VSS and non-VSS groups, respectively).

Results

There were 24 patients in the VSS group and 54 in the non-VSS group. There were no significant differences between the two groups in terms of clinicopathological background. The total drainage volume in the VSS group was significantly less than that in the non-VSS group (1,176 ml vs 3,114 ml; p = 0.018). Moreover, the drainage and hospitalization durations were significantly shorter in the VSS group compared to the non-VSS group (p = 0.017 and p = 0.024, respectively).

Conclusion

Our results suggest that use of VSS can help reduce the risk of postoperative complications after wide resection of soft-tissue sarcoma in the medial thigh.

Thyroidectomy via unilateral axillo-breast approach (UABA) with gas insufflation: prospective multicentre European study

Background

Extracervical approaches for thyroidectomy are seldom explored in the western population. The objective of this study was to evaluate the outcomes of hemithyroidectomy via endoscopic unilateral axillo-breast approach (UABA) with gas insufflation.

Method

Consecutive patients undergoing UABA hemithyroidectomy for symptomatic benign or cytologically indeterminate nodules (Bethesda III lesions) of less than 5 cm from July 2015 to December 2020 at three European institutions were included. Patients were excluded if presenting with a BMI more than 25 kg/m², had previous neck surgery and/or radiation, had bilateral thyroid lesions, retrosternal goitre, Hashimoto thyroiditis or Graves’ disease. Follow-up was carried out at 2 weeks, 3 months and 1 year. Outcomes of interest were surgical (including operating time, mean duration of hospital stay and complications) and self-assessed cosmetic outcomes.

Results

Out of 984 patients treated with hemithyroidectomy during the study interval, 253 were selected, including 214 women and 39 men. Patients’ mean age was of 46.6 years with a mean BMI of 22.57. Mean operating time was 72.9 minutes. A transient recurrent laryngeal nerve injury was reported in 3.6 per cent of the patients, but none was persistent. Transient pectoral/cervical hypoesthesia was noted in 24.1 per cent of patients, with no permanent hypoesthesia. Skin burns and subcutaneous hematoma developed in 2.4 per cent and 2 per cent of patients but resolved within the third month after surgery. There was no tracheal/oesophageal perforation, conversion to open surgery or reoperation. The final pathology revealed 241 benign nodules, nine underlying papillary thyroid carcinomas, and three cases of follicular carcinoma. Hospital discharge was achieved on the first in 68.8 per cent of the patients and on the second postoperative day in 31.2 per cent of the cases. All patients were satisfied with the cosmetic aspect.

Conclusion

In selected patients, UABA with gas insufflation for hemithyroidectomy could be performed for the treatment of unilateral thyroid pathologies.

Intra- and postoperative complications using LigaSure™ Small Jaw in patients undergoing thyroidectomy: a register-based study

PURPOSE

LigaSure™ Small Jaw (LSJ) reduces operation duration and intraoperative blood loss in patients undergoing thyroidectomy. However, the evidence is sparse regarding postoperative complications and among relevant patients subgroups. In a large cohort of patients including relevant patient subgroups, we evaluated intra- and postoperative complications using LSJ.

METHODS

Single-centre register-based study evaluating 3346 patients undergoing hemi- or total thyroidectomy. We compared differences in intra- and postoperative complications using LSJ compared to conventional technique. Multivariate analyses were conducted to adjust for potential confounders.

RESULTS

Compared to the conventional technique, LSJ was associated with less postoperative drainage (OR 0.4, p = 0.02) and postoperative haemorrhage (OR 0.3, p = 0.02) among patients undergoing hemi- and total thyroidectomy with benign histology, respectively, but with increased risk of postoperative infection [3 (6.4%) vs. 0 (0.0%) patients, p = 0.04] among patients undergoing total thyroidectomy with malignant histology. LSJ was associated with reduced operation duration (- 12.2 min, p < 0.001, - 7.9 min, p < 0.001 and - 13.2 min, p = 0.002) and intraoperative blood loss (- 52.1 ml, p < 0.001, - 13.6 ml, p < 0.001 and - 12.9 ml, p = 0.02) compared to conventional technique among patients undergoing total and hemithyroidectomy with benign histology and hemithyroidectomy with malignant histology, respectively.

CONCLUSION

LSJ was associated with a reduced risk of postoperative haemorrhage and less postoperative drainage but increased risk of postoperative infection depending on the type of thyroidectomy and histology of the thyroid gland. LSJ was associated with only a small reduction in operation duration and intraoperative blood loss.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

The study was based on data prospectively registered in the Danish national database THYKIR.