Use of the harmonic scalpel in thyroidectomy

Thyroidectomy is a surgical procedure that requires meticulous dissection, safe anatomical exposure and effective haemostasis. Use of the harmonic scalpel in thyroidectomy may assist in achieving these goals, particularly in respect to enabling efficient haemostatic coagulation and division of small vessels. This report demonstrates the results of utilizing the harmonic scalpel in a series of 88 prospective thyroidectomies in patients under the care of two surgeons over a 2-year period recording a number of parameters, including operative times and post-operative complications. These data were compared with a retrospective cohort of 57 patients who underwent thyroidectomies by the same two surgeons prior to the introduction of the harmonic scalpel. The results of this study show that the use of the harmonic scalpel decreased surgical operating time by 20 min (22.5%) for a hemithyroidectomy and 13.5 min (12%) for a total thyroidectomy. Harmonic scalpel use was not associated with an increased complication rate and has been demonstrated to be a very efficient and safe tool in assisting with the conduct of a thyroidectomy.