The safety and efficacy of ligasure using in radical cystectomy

Despite the introduction of minimally invasive surgery, open radical cystectomy remained the gold standard treatment for bladder cancer when indicated. But it has the disadvantages of long operative time and large blood loss.

To assess the safety and efficacy of the use of ligasue in radical cystectmy.

From June 2015 to February 2018, 72 patients with muscle invasive bladder cancer or Recurrent high grade non muscle invasive cancer who are candidate for open radical cystectomies at Al-Yarmouk teaching hospital were enrolled in this prospective, case control study to compare between the use of traditional suture ligature technique and ligasure for tissue ligation and division. The patients were randomly divided into two equal groups; group A for suture ligature technique and group B for ligasure.

The age of the patients (n=72) in this study was ranged from 50 to 79 years, and the mean age was 64.1±8.4 years in group A and 65.4±8.4 in group B. The characteristics of the two groups were similar, with no statistically significant difference (p value > 0.05), but regarding the duration of surgery, blood loss and the need for blood transfusion and number blood units transfused, the difference was statistically significant (P value <0.05). Pelvic lymphoceles were the most common complications in both groups and the incidence of complications in the two groups was comparable with no statistically significant difference (p value> 0.05).

The addition of ligasure use in radical cystectomy was effective in reducing blood loss and in saving time by decreasing the duration of surgery, and also was safe as there was no significant difference in incidence of complications.