Clinical Trial on Harmonic Focus Shears Versus Ligasure Small Jaw and Clamp-and-tie Technique for Total Thyroidectomy

The Harmonic Focus and Ligasure small-Jaw are the last device designed for thyroid surgery. The aim is to assess: 1. decrease of operative time (minutes); 2. decrease of post-operative blood loss (milliliters); 3. decrease of post-operative stay (days); decrease of post-operative complications (%, hypocalcemia, laringeal nerve demage), compared to traditional dissection in a prospective randomized trial of total thyroidectomy procedures, for benign disease.

A single-blinded prospective randomized controlled trial was conducted at a tertiary referral center. A total of 120 patients who required a thyroidectomy for thyroid benign disease, will be randomized to either Harmonic Focus or Ligasure small-Jaw or clamp-and-tie technique during thyroidectomy. The operative time (minutes), morbidity rate (%), post-operative blood loss (milliliters), hospital stay (days), post-operative hypocalcemia (%), and cost of thyroidectomy (euros) were compared between the three groups.

Inclusion Criteria:

• thyroid benign disease

Exclusion Criteria:

• malignant disease
• thyroid malign disease requiring lymphadenectomy
• coagulatory disease