Institution: UNIFESP
“Objectives: To compare the thermal effect of the two types of scalpels on the specimen electrocautery in relation to hemostasis, surgical time and postoperative complications. Methods: Sixty patients with breast cancer were selected in any clinical stage where surgical treatment was indicated. Patients were randomized into two groups: surgery electrocautery (E) and surgery with argon plasma coagulation (APC). Intraoperative bleeding was assessed by measurement of the weight compresses. The operated patients were assessed at 7, 14 and 30 days after surgery, or as needed by the patient or return indicated by the doctor. These returns were evaluated wounds aspects such as the presence and amount of seroma, hematoma or infection. They were performed anatomopathological analyzes for disease staging and private studies of this project in order to observe the extent and degree of thermal effect produced by the two hemostatic techniques.Results: The average age of patients was 56 years for the electrocautery group and 54.9 years for argon scalpel group. There was a significant difference between the groups in relation to the days with drain after surgery, with an average of 10.1 days for the electrocautery group and 7.1 days for argon scalpel group (p=0.024). There was no significant difference between the groups in relation to the thermal effects on the surgical specimen.Conclusion: Surgical treatment is one of the pillars of local treatment of breast cancer and studies investigating new technologies should be encouraged. In this protocol, both types of scalpel proved quite similar in all aspects postoperative, differing only statistically in the shortest number of the days with drain for patients treated with argon scalpel.”
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