Prospective comparison of suture ligation and electrothermal sealing for the control of perivascular lymphatics in kidney transplant recipients.

Background: The use of sutures as ligatures has proven to be safe and reliable for the control of lymphatic vessels. The electrothermal bipolar vessel sealer (EBVS) is a relatively new type of device that can be used to seal lymphatics. We conducted a study to evaluate the safety and efficacy of EBVS for preparation of the recipient vessel during renal transplantation.

Methods: In this prospective randomized controlled study, EBVS (Medtronic) was compared with conventional ligature for the control of perivascular lymphatics in kidney transplant recipients. A total of 52 kidney transplant recipients were randomly assigned to two groups. In group 1, EBVS was used to control perivascular lymphatics, while conventional silk ligatures were used in group 2. Demographic characteristics, as well as preoperative, perioperative, and postoperative variables, were noted and compared between the groups.

Results: The mean recipient vessel preparation time was 8.3±1.9 minutes in group 1 and 14.5±4 minutes in group 2 (P<0.001). The mean anastomosis time was 28.2±5.4 minutes in group 1 and 28.2±4.2 minutes in group 2 (P=1.000). The mean estimated blood loss was 101.54±44.60 mL in group 1 and 125.19±74.17 mL in group 2 (P=0.270), and the mean drain output was 51.42 mL per day and 57.50 mL per day in groups 1 and 2, respectively (P=0.590).

Conclusions: EBVS can be employed safely and effectively for recipient iliac lymphatic vessel dissection and sealing. EBVS is a fast, secure, and effective choice to permanently fuse the vessels and is a good option to avoid posttransplant lymphatic complications.