Introduction: An important fact when facing new technologies is their cost for the Health Publishes. The purpose of this paper is to compare the costs of performing TEM with harmonic scalpel and classic monopolar scalpel and to analyze complications.
Methods: Operation time, blood loss, and hospital stay were recorded to determine the cost of the TEM procedure. We also recorded early and late complications. Patients were divided in two groups: harmonic scalpel group (UC) and monopolar scalpel group (MS).
Results: TEM for curative intention was used in 330 rectal tumors from January 1997 to January 2010. A total of 229 patients met the criteria for this study: UC group (n = 87) and MS group (n = 142). Patients from the UC group developed fewer complications (16%) than patients from the MS group (23%). The difference of mean stay between groups was 1.5 days (95% confidence interval, 0.7; 2.2 days; P < 0.001) in favor of the UC group.
Conclusions: Harmonic scalpel provides a safer, easier, and more precise surgical section through clean, bloodless, and better visualized operative field. The additional cost of UC was compensated with the decrease in the health resources (mainly hospital stay).