Feasibility of Using a Vessel Sealing System in a Human Pulmonary Lobectomy: A Retrospective Comparison of This Procedure with or without a Vessel Sealing System

Abstract

Objective: Despite recent advances in video-assisted thoracoscopic lobectomy, some technical limitations still remain. Our current study purpose was to determine if the vessel sealing system (VSS) has utility in this procedure.Method: 112 patients who underwent an anatomic pulmonary lobectomy at our institute were evaluated retrospectively. The burst pressure of pulmonary vessels, which was divided into VSS (VSS group; n = 44) or manual ligature (ligature group; n = 53) groups, was measured experimentally in transected lungs. Perioperative clinical data was also retrospectively evaluated in patients treated with (VSS group) or without using VSS (n-VSS group).Results: Burst pressures achieved adequate strength in both the VSS (600.0 ± 436.8 mmHg) and ligature (1057.4 ± 462.3 mmHg) groups. Compared with the n-VSS group, the VSS group patients showed lower intraoperative blood loss (115.4 ± 181.1 vs. 183.3 ± 159.1 ml), lower chest fluids by 3rd post-operative day (POD) (533.8 ± 264.8 vs. 705.3 ± 339.3 ml) and a shorter period of chest tube duration (4.1 ± 1.2 vs. 5.4 ± 2.4 days). No serious complications or perioperative (30 days) deaths occurred in either group.Conclusion: The VSS device has the advantage in pulmonary lobectomy procedures, especially those involving video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS).