How secure are the arteries occluded by a newly developed ultrasonically activated device?

Abstract

Background: We developed a new ultrasonically activated device (USAD) for endoscopic surgery. The current investigation was conducted to evaluate the security of the arteries occluded and divided by this USAD.

Methods: The intraperitoneal arteries of anesthetized living pigs were individually occluded by the USAD at power levels of 70% or 100%. The burst pressures of the harvested arteries were measured in vitro. For comparison, arteries occluded by laparoscopic clips or silk ligatures were evaluated in the same manner.

Results: The pressures to burst the occluded artery ranged from 353 to 2,148 mmHg with an average of 1,204 mmHg in the USAD group at 70% power level; from 324 to 2,207 mmHg with an average of 1,193 mmHg in the USAD group at 100% power level; from 794 to 1,868 mmHg with an average of 1,421 mmHg in the clip group; and from 618 to 3,207 mmHg with an average of 1,586 mmHg in the silk ligature group.

Conclusion: The data suggest the improbability that small- to medium-size arteries appropriately occluded and divided by the USAD can burst when exposed to intravascular pressures commonly found in living animals.