This Article  • Full text  • PDF  • Reply to article  • Send to a friend  • Save in My Folder  • Save to citation manager  • Permissions  Citing Articles  • Citing articles on ISI (10)  • Contact me when this article is cited  Related Content  • Similar articles in this journal  Topic Collections  • Endocrine Disease of Head & Neck  • Alert me on articles by topic

Giuseppe Colella, MD, DDS; Amerigo Giudice, MD; Antonio Vicidomini, MD; Pasquale Sperlongano, MD

Arch Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2005;131:413-416.

Objective  To evaluate the usefulness of the LigaSure Precise instrument in superficial lobectomy of the parotid gland.

Design  Prospective study of the surgical procedures in the LigaSure Vessel Sealing System and comparison with a conventionally treated control group.

Setting  Secondary care academic referral center.

Patients  Thirty-five patients with a parotid gland benign tumor were randomly allocated to 2 superficial lobe parotidectomy groups: 17 using the LigaSure procedure (group A) and 18 using the conventional method (group B).

Main Outcome Measures  During the past few years, different methods of achieving hemostasis in parotid gland surgery have been tested as means of decreasing operative time and facial nerve injuries by controlling bleeding. With the whole LigaSure Vessel Sealing System, we experienced the usefulness of the LigaSure Precise instrument in superficial lobectomy of the parotid gland.

Results  No statistically significant differences were noted between the 2 groups in mean age, tumor diameter, length of hospital stay, time to return to work, or number of adverse events during or after surgery. Operative time was significantly shorter in group A than in group B (P < .001). Total operative time for conservative partial parotidectomy with traditional excision ranged from 115 to 235 minutes (mean, 155.8 minutes). Using the LigaSure system, the mean operative time was 136.4 minutes. Salivary fistulas were more common in group A (3 of 17 patients), with no cases in group B.

Conclusions  The LigaSure method is comparable with but not superior to the conventional method. The main advantages of the LigaSure system are its "sutureless technique" and operative time savings; however, the cost is considerably higher.

Author Affiliations: Department of Head and Neck Surgery (Drs Colella, Giudice, and Vicidomini) and Fifth General Surgery Unit (Dr Sperlongano), Seconda Università degli Stiùudi di Napoli, Napoli, Italy.