Thermal spread with Voyant 5 mm Fusion versus LigaSure 5 mm Blunt Tip Devices

Abstract

Thermal spread is an unavoidable side-effect of electrocautery, however limiting it is important for minimizing damage to surrounding tissues. LigaSure 5 mm Blunt Tip has been in use since 2009 while Voyant 5 mm Fusion has only been FDA approved since 2018. Our hospital, a rural academic tertiary care center, recently moved to purchasing Voyant because of cost concerns. We aimed to compare the thermal spread of the two tools on raw pork meat at two different cut depths and on both right and left sides. The LigaSure device had significantly less thermal spread than Voyant across all measurements. Based on our data, the LigaSure device should be chosen for use despite the increased cost.