BACKGROUND: Although the resection is the chosen procedure in the therapeutic treatment of liver malign lesions, the bleeding represents a factor of morbidity with a great impact in the hepatic surgery. With the means of minimizing this complication, several technological options have been utilized, being radiofrequency more recently among them, allowing the procedure to be realized with smaller incisions, without the need of vascular clamping, with minimum hepatic dissection, or bleeding. AIM: To present the results of the use of a new technique of hepatic parenchyma resection through parallel needles of bipolar radiofrequency developed by the authors themselves, verifying the impact in the trans-operation bleeding of patients subjected to hepatectomies. METHODS: Sixty patients were submitted to hepatic resection through the use of bipolar radiofrequency. The pre-operation bleeding was evaluated through the medication of the collected volume in the vacuum and by the weight difference in the compresses utilized during the procedure. All cases were monitored in their hepatocitary function through laboratory tests during the first week of the post-operation. RESULTS: The hepatic resections were realized with the mean of 87 minutes, mean incision size of 14 cm and mean bleeding of 58 ml. None of the patients received blood transfusion or derivatives. Central venous catheters were not utilized. All patients obtained fast anesthetic recuperation, leaving the recuperation room to the ward in less than 12 hours. The post-operation drainage was noted down until the drain removal occurring in all patients. The mean hospitalization time was of 3,2 days. After the elevation peak of the hepatic function tests in the first three days, all patients presented regression of them in a one month. CONCLUSION: It is possible, feasible and valid to use radiofrequency needle to perform hepatectomy, even larger ones, reducing bleeding.
Bipolar radiofrequency; Hepatectomy; Bleeding
