Comparison of electrocautery and LigaSure™ vessel sealing system in radial arteryharvesting as coronary artery bypass surgery conduit: A prospective, randomized study

Abstract

Objectives: In this study, we aimed to compare the efficiency of electrocautery with the LigaSure™ vessel sealing system. Patients and methods: This randomized study included a total of 53 patients (44 males, 9 females; mean age: 63.7±8.4 years;range, 39 to 83 years) who underwent coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) for radial artery (RA) harvesting with electrocauteryor LigaSure™ vessel sealing system between January 2019 and September 2019. The patients were randomly assigned into two groups.Group 1 consisted of 27 patients operated with the LigaSure™ small jaw sealer/divider and Group 2 consisted of 26 patients operated withelectrocautery. The length of the conduit, the amount of intraoperative blood loss, the number of hemostatic clips before and after theanastomosis, the amount of postoperative blood loss, the number of ecchymoses, hematoma and infection are compared. Results: The amount of blood loss from the beginning of harvesting to the end of the closure of the skin of left arm was significantlylower in Group 1 (p=0.004). The difference in the number of hemostatic clips before and after the anastomosis of RA to coronary arterywas statistically significantly lower in Group 1 (p0.1), and postoperative hematoma (p>0.1) and infection (p>0.03)between the groups. Conclusion: Our study results suggest that the LigaSure™ vessel sealing system is a better option of RA harvesting, particularly inpatients who are prone to bleed.