Vessel sealer and divider instrument temperature during laparoscopic ovariectomy in horses.

This study investigates the temperature of a surgical tool called a “vessel sealer and divider” during a specific type of operation on horses. The research found that while the instrument reached high temperatures, this did not lead to significant surgical complications.

Study Methodology

• The study involved fifteen healthy mares with normal ovarian palpation and ultrasonography.
• These horses were restrained, sedated, and then treated with a unilateral paralumbar laparoscopic ovariectomy, a type of operation to remove the ovary. This operation was done with laparoscopic portals and using traumatic forceps and a vessel sealer and divider.
• The researchers recorded the temperature of the vessel sealer and divider using a thermocouple device adhered to the tip of the instrument.
• The outcomes of the surgery and use of the vessel sealer and divider were quantified using variables such as surgical time, temperature reached by the instrument during use, and the increase in temperature for each activation cycle.

Study Results

• The mares were operated on for about 30 minutes, out of which the vessel sealer and divider were used for a median of 4.1 minutes.
• The temperature of the tip of the instrument reached 77°C during activation and was 64°C by the end of the cycle.
• The median increase in end-cycle instrument tip temperature per activation cycle was 2°C.
• All mares recovered successfully and returned to their intended use without significant complications from the surgery.

Conclusions and Implications

• Despite the high temperatures recorded by the vessel sealer and divider, no significant surgical complications were apparent in the study.
• The researchers note that the impact of this increase in temperature on the surgical tool’s tip is currently unclear. They caution surgeons to use the tool carefully, particularly when it’s near the viscera or internal organs of the horse.
• Furthermore, they postulate that the increase in temperature could be linked to morbidity but believe that more research is required to ascertain this possibility.
• The researchers also suggest a need for further investigation into the implications of tip heating in different procedures, such as adhesiolysis and intestinal resection.