Comparison of hematoma incidence between vessel-sealant devices and conventional hemostasis after thyroid operations

Background
Vessel-sealing devices (VSDs) were promoted for usage in thyroid surgeries, but, the connotation of their usage with postoperative hematoma of the neck, is an infrequent but possibly fatal complication, which has not been adequately investigated.
Aim and objectives
The aim of the study was comparing of complication incidence between VSDs and conventional hemostasis (CH) after thyroid operations.
Patients and methods
This was a retrospective cohort investigation, in which 849 patients matched inclusion criteria and were included in the study. Data on cases experiencing thyroid surgical operation from January 2017 to May 2021 were retrospectively taken out from medical documents of Al-Azhar Assiut Hospital.
Results
As regards outcomes, we demonstrated that 1.2% in the VS group and 4.3% in the CH group had postoperative hematoma, mean±SD of the surgical period was 123.6±66.54 and 109.7±68.21 min in VS and CH groups, respectively, while as regards hospitalization, we found that mean±SD of harmonic scalpel was 1.01±1.75 and 1.32±2.09 days in VS and CH groups, respectively, and there is a significant difference between the groups regarding hematoma, surgical period, and hospitalization.
Conclusion
The current work revealed that the usage of VSDs throughout thyroid surgical operation was accompanied by reduction in the development of a postoperative hematoma in comparison with the CH methods. Given the strength of these results, the easiness of inclusions of these devices into operation, and the influence a postoperative hematoma may have, surgeons and hospitals might take into consideration the inclusion of VSDs into their practices.