Clipless hand-assisted laparoscopic total colectomy

We present the advantages of hand-assisted laparoscopic (HALS) total colectomy for ulcerative colitis using of the LigaSure Atlas(TM). Method: A retrospective study was conducted to compare 15 patients who underwent HALS total colectomy using an ultrasonic coagulator from January 1988 to September 2002 (US group) with 18 patient using LigaSure Atlas(TM) (LS group) from October 2002 to December 2003. Results: The operative time was 225+/-58 minutes in the LS group and less than 280 105 minutes in the US group. Intraoperative blood loss was 91+/-22 ml in the LS group and less than 212+/-178 ml in the US group. Postoperative seroma formation in the abdomen was found in 3 patients of the US group (20%). Conclusion: The procedure using LigaSure Atlas(TM) reduced the operative time, intraoperative bleeding and operator's stress in comparison with standard ultrasonic coagulation.