Controlled study of inline radiofrequency coagulation-assisted partial nephrectomy in sheep

Background. Primary or secondary tumors of kidney often are managed by partial nephrectomy. Intraoperative blood loss can be significant. Laparoscopic partial nephrectomy may be even more challenging. We developed the Inline radiofrequency coagulation (ILRFA) probe for liver surgery. It uses radiofrequency energy to make a linear coagulative plane and considerably reduces bleeding during parenchymal transection. In this study we tested the efficiency of ILRFA in ovine kidney. Method. Seven sheep were used in this study. Under general anesthetic, a laparotomy was performed in each sheep. The first two sheep were used as pilot experiments. Five partial nephrectomies were made in the remaining five sheep using ILRFA. As a control, a matching partial nephrectomy was made in each sheep using diathermy and sutures. Blood loss was measured by determining the difference in the weights of dry sponges and blood stained sponges after resection. A paired t test was used to compare the bleeding between the control and the ILRFA technique. Results. The mean blood loss using ILRFA was 33.14 9 (SD 17) and 123.43 g (SD 72) in the control group. The bleeding was significantly reduced in the ILRFA group, with a P value of 0.0056. The time taken for applying the ILRFA was 3-4 min. Conclusion. We have achieved partial nephrectomy in ovine kidney using radiofrequency energy with significantly reduced blood loss. (c) 2006 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.