A clinical evaluation of the LOTUS™ ultrasonic shears in gynaecological surgery

Awadzi G, Frappell J, Oriolowo A, Sibanda T, (2005) Gynaecol Surg

This study has compared the division time and degree of thermal damage caused in the immediate vicinity of dissection of large ligaments during abdominal hysterectomy and bilateral salpingooophorectomy.

In a ten patient study the round and infundibulopelvic ligaments on one side were divided using LOTUS™ and those on the other side were divided using Power Blade™ cutting bipolar forceps.
Two hundred histological samples were prepared from the excised samples by the blinded histopathologist and using a protocol devised by the team, severity of cell damage and spatial
extent from the point of energy application were quantified.

It was found that LOTUS™ was as fast at cutting the Round Ligament as the Power Blade™ (mean time c.9s.) and faster at cutting the infundibulopelvic Ligament (20s. versus 27.5s).
(p=0.1688)

The degree of thermal damage caused by LOTUS™ was less than that caused by the Power Blade™ at 2mm and 6mm from the application site. no thermal damage was seen 10mm from the
application site for both devices.

Both instruments were equally effective in securing haemostasis in all the pedicles.

Due to the small sample size the results were not statistically significant.