EFFECT OF ELECTROSURGICAL TECHNIQUE ON WOUND-HEALING AND EARLY COMPLICATION RATE FOLLOWING ABDOMINAL DERMOLIPECTOMY

Thirty-eight patients with significant weight loss after vertical band ed gastroplasty were studied prospectively while undergoing abdominal dermolipectomy to determine if the current intensity used during elect rosurgical dissection influenced wound complication rates after this s urgery. Patients were assigned randomly to one of two groups: (1) a HI group, in which the electrosurgical current intensity was set at a le vel that easily allowed coagulation of all vessels smaller than 0.5 mm in diameter or (2) a LO group, in which the current intensity was set at a much lower level that allowed dissection, but required that near ly all visible vessels be ligated separately. A standardized procedure was employed for all patients. The patients in the LO (N = 14) and HI (N = 24) groups were well matched for age, weight history, nutritiona l parameters, operative times, surgical blood loss, and postoperative hospital stay. The overall complication rates of 36% and 21%, and woun d complication rates of 36% and 13% for the LO and HI groups, respecti vely, were not significantly different. These data indicate that using a relatively high electrosurgical current intensity for dissection du ring abdominal lipectomy does not result in a higher wound complicatio n rate.