• Mattia Garancini, Luca Gianotti, Ilaria Mattavelli, Fabrizio Romano, Luca Degrate, Roberto Caprotti, Angelo Nespoli, and Franco Uggeri.
• Department of Surgery, Milano-Bicocca University, San Gerardo Hospital, Monza, Italy. mattia_garancini@yahoo.it
• Hepato Gastroenterol. 2011 Jan 1;58(105):127-32.

Background/AimsTo evaluate the impact of the traditional clamp-crush technique and a radiofrequency bipolar vessel sealing device (BVSD) for liver resection on operative blood loss, transfusion rate, duration of operation, length of hospitalization and morbidity.MethodologyFrom a database, 100 patients who underwent elective liver resection were retrospectively selected. In 40 patients parenchyma transection was performed by BSVD (LigaSure system) and 60 patients were operated using traditional clamp-crush technique (CC group).ResultsThe two groups were well-matched for baseline and surgical characteristics. Peak of transaminases was significantly higher in the BSVD on postoperative days 1, 3 and 5 (minimum p = 0.02 vs. CC). There was no significant difference between CC group and BVSD group in median operation time (180 vs. 190 min), blood loss (600 vs. 700 mL), transfusion rate (48.0% vs. 60.5%), hepatic failure (3.2% vs. 2.5%), morbidity rate (26.6% vs. 27.5%), and hospital stay (13 vs. 12 days).ConclusionsIncreased tissue damage in the BSVD group did not seem to correlate with organ dysfunction or postoperative morbidity. The two techniques appear equivalent in term of outcome and thus the choice of transection strategy remains according to the surgeon preference and experience.

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