Evidence map›Paper›PMID 38498075›Full record

Trial reportThe British journal of surgery2024

Monopolar diathermy versus a vessel-sealing device for reducing postoperative drain output after simple mastectomy: randomized clinical trial.

Stephen Keelan, Gavin P Dowling, Trudi Roche, Aisling Hegarty, Matthew G Davey, Amenah A Dhannoon, Sorcha O'Grady, Eithne Downey, Jarlath Bolger, Michael Boland and 5 more

Open access · hybridAbstract readRandomized Controlled Trial
In one paragraph

Trial report in The British journal of surgery, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed
1.1field-weighted citation impact, top 20% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed, 4 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Advancing surgical techniques with ligasure for common femoral artery exposure.Journal of vascular surgery cases and innovative techniques · 2026
    Article
  2. Article
  3. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

15 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.

Stephen KeelanDepartment of Surgery, RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Dublin, Ireland.ORCID 0000-0002-3632-5128
Gavin P DowlingDepartment of Surgery, RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Dublin, Ireland.ORCID 0000-0002-2267-2022
Trudi RocheDepartment of Surgery, RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Dublin, Ireland.
Aisling HegartyDepartment of Surgery, RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Dublin, Ireland.
Matthew G DaveyBeaumont RCSI Cancer Centre, Beaumont Hospital, Dublin, Ireland.ORCID 0000-0002-9892-9920
Amenah A DhannoonBeaumont RCSI Cancer Centre, Beaumont Hospital, Dublin, Ireland.
Sorcha O'GradyDepartment of Surgery, RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Dublin, Ireland.
Eithne DowneyBeaumont RCSI Cancer Centre, Beaumont Hospital, Dublin, Ireland.
Jarlath BolgerBeaumont RCSI Cancer Centre, Beaumont Hospital, Dublin, Ireland.ORCID 0000-0002-0796-633X
Michael BolandBeaumont RCSI Cancer Centre, Beaumont Hospital, Dublin, Ireland.ORCID 0000-0001-9024-8189
Jan SorensenHealth Outcomes Research Centre, School of Population Health, RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Dublin, Ireland.
Colm PowerBeaumont RCSI Cancer Centre, Beaumont Hospital, Dublin, Ireland.
Abeeda ButtBeaumont RCSI Cancer Centre, Beaumont Hospital, Dublin, Ireland.
Chwanrow BabanBeaumont RCSI Cancer Centre, Beaumont Hospital, Dublin, Ireland.
Arnold D K HillDepartment of Surgery, RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Dublin, Ireland.
Beaumont Hospital · IE

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundElectrosurgical devices are commonly used during mastectomy for simultaneous dissection and haemostasis, and can provide potential benefits regarding vessel and lymphatic ligation. The aim of this prospective RCT was to assess whether using a vessel-sealing device (LigaSure™) improves perioperative outcomes compared with monopolar diathermy when performing simple mastectomy.

methodsPatients were recruited prospectively and randomized in a 1 : 1 manner to undergo simple mastectomy using either LigaSure™ or conventional monopolar diathermy at a single centre. The primary outcome was the number of days the drain remained in situ after surgery. Secondary outcomes of interest included operating time and complications.

resultsA total of 86 patients were recruited (42 were randomized to the monopolar diathermy group and 44 were randomized to the LigaSure™ group). There was no significant difference in the mean number of days the drain remained in situ between the monopolar diathermy group and the LigaSure™ group (7.75 days versus 8.23 days; P = 0.613) and there was no significant difference in the mean total drain output between the monopolar diathermy group and the LigaSure™ group (523.50 ml versus 572.80 ml; P = 0.694). In addition, there was no significant difference in the mean operating time between the groups, for simple mastectomy alone (88.25 min for the monopolar diathermy group versus 107.20 min for the LigaSure™ group; P = 0.078) and simple mastectomy with sentinel lymph node biopsy (107.20 min for the monopolar diathermy group versus 114.40 min for the LigaSure™ group; P = 0.440).

conclusionIn this double-blinded single-centre RCT, there was no difference in the total drain output or the number of days the drain remained in situ between the monopolar diathermy group and the LigaSure™ group. REGISTRATION NUMBER: EudraCT 2018-003191-13 BEAUMONT HOSPITAL REC 18/66.

Indexed as

Breast NeoplasmsDiathermyFemaleHumansMastectomyMastectomy, SimpleProspective Studies

Identifiers

PMID38498075
PMCPMC10946413
OpenAlexW4392973540

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.