Comparison of Postoperative Bleed Rates and Location of Bleed Between Vessel Sealing Devices after Laparoscopic Sleeve Gastrectomy

Background: Laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (SG) is a commonly performed bariatric procedure. At our institution, two vessel sealing devices, Thunderbeat (R) (Olympus) and Maryland LigaSure (TM) (Covidien) are utilized for intraoperative dissection.Methods: A retrospective review of all patients who underwent primary SG from July 2013 through August 2022 was performed to evaluate postoperative bleeding (POB) rates between the two devices. The primary outcome measured was POB as defined by the Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Accreditation and Quality Improvement Program (MBSAQIP), with secondary outcomes including reoperation, source of bleed, and overall safety.Results: A total of 8157 underwent SG. Average BMI and age were 43.2 kg/m2 and 37.1 years, respectively. A total of 6600 (80.9%) were female. Thunderbeat (R) was utilized in 5143 (63%) cases and Maryland LigaSure (TM) was used in 3014 (37%) cases. There was no significant difference in overall bleeding between the Thunderbeat (R) (18/5143, .35%) and the Maryland LigaSure (TM) (19/3014, .63%; P = .0689). However, there was a difference noted when comparing reoperation for bleeding between Thunderbeat (R) (9/5143, .17%) and Maryland LigaSure (TM) (13/3014, .43%; P = .0291). Furthermore, the location of bleeding in the reoperations was more common from the cut edge of the mesentery compared to the staple line with the Maryland LigaSure (TM) versus the Thunderbeat (R) (P = .038).Conclusions: The Thunderbeat (R) device is comparatively more hemostatic than the Maryland LigaSure (TM) for SG. The location of postoperative bleed may be related to vessel sealing devices used.