None listed
Conditions
Brief summary
The main purpose of the study is to compare the difference, if any, in the appearance of the surgical scar between the the diathermy blade and the standard surgical steel scalpel. The blunt diathermy blade produces a cutting effect by passing electric current and vaporise the skin cells while the standard surgical scalpel physically cuts the skin. Anecdotal experience suggest there is no difference in the appearance of the scar between the two instruments. However, the sharp surgical blade remains in common use, albeit almost exclusively for skin incision only in modern day abdominal surgery, because the general perception is that the diathermy will cause charring of the skin and thus results in poorer scar appearance. The presence of the sharp blade poses significant and potentially avoidable risk of sharps injury to the entire surgical team. The study hypothesis is that there are no visible difference in the appearance of the scar between the diathermy and the scalpel.
Interventions
creating laparotomy incision on the skin surface using the flat stainless-steel diathermy blade on 40W pure-cutting current. Diathermy blade has blunt tip and produces cutting effect by vaporising cells. Half of the incision is done using the diathermy blade and surface incision time requires only few seconds
Sponsors
Stephen Ridely Smith
Study design
Allocation
Randomised controlled trial
Intervention model
Parallel
Primary purpose
Treatment
Masking
Blinded (masking used)
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
All
Age
18 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
adults requiring laparotomy for colorectal resection at the John Hunter Hospital, able to give informed consent
Exclusion criteria
previous laparotomy scar, patients requiring laparoscopic or laparoscopic-assisted surgery
Outcome results
None listed