Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Randomized Controlled Trial
. 2006 Jul 7;12(25):4082-5.
doi: 10.3748/wjg.v12.i25.4082.

Experimental and clinical study of influence of high-frequency electric surgical knives on healing of abdominal incision

Guang-Wei Ji  1 , Yuan-Zhi Wu, Xu Wang, Hua-Xiong Pan, Ping Li, Wan-Ying Du, Zhi Qi, An Huang, Li-Wei Zhang, Li Zhang, Wen Chen, Guang-Hua Liu, Hui Xu, Quan Li, Ai-Hua Yuan, Xiao-Ping He, Guo-Hua Mei
Affiliations
Randomized Controlled Trial

Experimental and clinical study of influence of high-frequency electric surgical knives on healing of abdominal incision

Guang-Wei Ji et al. World J Gastroenterol. .

Abstract

Aim: To study the influence of high-frequency electric surgical knives on healing of abdominal incision.

Methods: Two hundred and forty white rats were divided into 10(0), 10(2), 10(5), and 10(8) groups and rat models of abdominal operation were induced by using electric surgical knives and common lancets respectively. Then they were respectively given hypodermic injections of normal saline and 0.2 mL quantitative mixture of Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa at a concentration of 10(2), 10(5) and 10(8). On the basis of the animal experiment, 220 patients undergoing abdominal operations (above type II) were randomly allocated into one of following three groups: electric knife (EK, 93 cases), electro-coagulation (EC, 55 cases) and control (72 cases). High-frequency electric surgical knives were used to dissect abdominal tissues and electro-coagulation for hemostasis in EK group. Common lancets and electro-coagulation were applied in EC group. Common lancets and tying silk suture were used in the controls.

Results: In all the groups except group 10(0), infection rate of incisional wounds made by electric surgical knives were remarkably higher than that with common lancets. Furthermore, there were significant differences in groups 10(2), 10(5), and 10(8) (P<0.05), but not in group 10(0) (P>0.05) between EK and EC groups. Clinical studies showed a delayed wound healing in 16 cases (17.20%) in EK, 11 cases (16.36%) in EC and 2 cases (2.86%) in the control groups. A significant difference between EK and the control groups (chi2 = 8.57, P<0.01), and between EC and the control groups (chi2 = 5.66, P<0.05) was observed, but not between EK and EC (chi2 = 0.017, P>0.05).

Conclusion: High-frequency electric knives may remarkably delay abdominal incision healing. Its application should be minimized so as to reduce the possibility of postoperative complications.

PubMed Disclaimer

References

    1. Zhang BG. Management around operative period. In: Wu ZD ed., editor. Surgery. 5th ed. Beijing: The People's Health Press; 2001. pp. 152–161.
    1. Groot G, Chappell EW. Electrocautery used to create incisions does not increase wound infection rates. Am J Surg. 1994;167:601–603. - PubMed
    1. Su MB, Wang YP, Wang XF. Treatment and diagnosis of incision's grease liquefaction in 20 cases. Zhongguo Shiyong Waike Zazhi. 1999;19:144.
    1. Soballe PW, Nimbkar NV, Hayward I, Nielsen TB, Drucker WR. Electric cautery lowers the contamination threshold for infection of laparotomies. Am J Surg. 1998;175:263–266. - PubMed
    1. Kumagai SG, Rosales RF, Hunter GC, Rappaport WD, Witzke DB, Chvapil TA, Chvapil M, Sutherland JC. Effects of electrocautery on midline laparotomy wound infection. Am J Surg. 1991;162:620–622; discussion 622-623;. - PubMed

Publication types